Shakespeare In A Divided America, James Shapiro

 

Shakespeare In A Divided America:  What his plays tell us about our past and future by James Shapiro was one of the 10 best books of 2020 according to the New York Times.

Started: 2/9/2021
Completed: 2/12/2021
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Recommended By: The New York Times

Review:

While I am sure that Shapiro overstates the case for Shakespeare, this is a well presented book.  It is broken into easily digested pieces with a coherent theme.  What I learned about "Kiss Me Kate" is appalling, though I guess I should have thought it of Shakespeare.  I have acted (as an amateur) in a number of his plays and generally found them interesting.  This does bring another scholarly level to the discussion, but it is not beyond me to understand what Shapiro is saying.  Well worth the time.