Shakespearean: On Life & Language in Times of Disruption

The author, Robert McCrum, found solace in Shakespeare's words during his recovery from a stroke, and in his book 'Shakespearean', he explores why Shakespeare continues to resonate with people today. McCrum argues that Shakespeare's words and ideas are the eternal key to our shared humanity and that his works are relevant and enduring.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 02 September 2021
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

‘Enchanting - Simon Russell Beale
‘Remarkable - James Shapiro
‘Wonderful . . . compulsively readable - Nicholas Hytner
Why do the collected works of an Elizabethan writer continue to speak to us as if they were written yesterday?

When Robert McCrum began his recovery from a life-changing stroke, described in My Year Off, he discovered that the only words that made sense to him were snatches of Shakespeare. Unable to travel or move as he used to, McCrum found the First Folio became his ‘book of life, an endless source of inspiration through which he could embark on ‘journeys of the mind, and see a reflection of our own disrupted times.

An acclaimed writer and journalist, McCrum has spent the last twenty-five years immersed in Shakespeare’s work, on stage and on the page. During this prolonged exploration, Shakespeare’s poetry and plays, so vivid and contemporary, have become his guide and consolation. In Shakespearean, he asks: Why is it that we always return to Shakespeare, particularly in times of acute crisis and dislocation? What is the key to his hold on our imagination? And why do the collected works of an Elizabethan writer continue to speak to us as if they were written yesterday?

Shakespearean is a rich, brilliant and superbly drawn portrait of an extraordinary artist, one of the greatest writers who ever lived. Through an enthralling narrative, ranging widely in time and space, McCrum seeks to understand Shakespeare within his historical context while also exploring the secrets of literary inspiration, and examining the nature of creativity itself. Witty and insightful, he makes a passionate and deeply personal case that Shakespeare’s words and ideas are not just enduring in their relevance – they are nothing less than the eternal key to our shared humanity.

McCrum’s journey is a testament to the power of literature to transcend time and place, and to connect us to our deepest selves and to one another. It is a reminder that Shakespeare’s words and ideas are not just relevant to our own time, but to all times, and that his legacy will continue to inspire and transform us for generations to come.’

Weight: 286g
Dimension: 130 x 196 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509896981