Contested Will

Who Wrote Shakespeare?

By: James Shapiro

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 11 hrs

Publisher's summary

For nearly two centuries, the authorship of William Shakespeare's plays has been challenged by writers and artists as diverse as Sigmund Freud, Mark Twain, Henry James, Helen Keller, Orson Welles, Malcolm X, and Sir Derek Jacobi. How could a young man from rural Warwickshire, lacking a university education, write some of the greatest works in the English language? How do we explain the seemingly unbridgeable gap between Shakespeare's life and works?

Contested Will unravels the mystery of Shakespeare's authorship, retracing why and when doubts first arose, what's at stake in the controversy for how we value Shakespeare's achievement, and why, in the end, there can be no doubt about who wrote the plays.

©2009 James Shapiro (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

“A thorough, engaging work.” ( Kirkus)

A very enjoyable work

A fascinating study of the disputes regarding Shakespeare's authorship of his plays. Very enjoyable, as well as being learned and informative. The reader is also quite good.

Carefully Considered

A very balanced consideration of a topic that inspires partisanship and often antagonism. Prof. Shapiro comes down on the side of Will of Stratford, but only through measured and thoughtful argument. Highly recommended.

Very Satisfying

After reading Will in the World, which was excellent, I still had curiosity about why Shakespeare’s authorship has been brought into question by reputable and credible individuals over centuries time. Contested Will has filled that void for me.

Expert

The author is obviously an expert in the topic. The book is long-winded, true, but I learned a lot about the history of the debate. In the end, I was convinced by Shapiro's even reasoning and converted to his way of thinking about who wrote the works of Shakespeare. I will keep in my library and listen to again to absorb more of the detail. A thorough job.

Fascinating

I find the debate about Shakespeare's authorship to be downright irresistible. It really tells you more about the critics involved than about the actual argument, which seems to me to be ridiculous. Shapiro is an expert and a good writer, and this book presents the arguments in a most entertaining manner. It also explains why, despite the lack of evidence that anyone but Shakespeare wrote the plays, the argument will not die. Conspiracy theorists are fascinating characters, and they will continue to hold up their opinions no matter what.

If this silly debate does not interest you, then the book probably will not either. If however, you appreciate the strange foibles of eccentric characters, you will likely enjoy this as much as I did!

Agree or else

Begs the question. Who else could have written Shakespeare if not Shakespeare? Petitio principii is the foremost of several logical fallacies in this erudite mocking of anyone who dares to doubt the premise. The haughty reading wonderfully reinforces the omniscient tone. Great fun if your mind is already made up on the side of the Stratford man.

Food for thought for Oxfordians.

Enjoyable for anyone with a general interest in the subject. Our modern sensibilities might be making us lean a little too heavily toward Oxford.

sound and fury signifying nothing

At least in Greenblatt's book there is some research of the period. Though both books provide nothing new on the man himself. As per usual of every "Shakespeare" biography its conjecture, supposition and what possibly may have sort of kinda happened. Real documented facts is scholarship. This book should be in historical fiction.