Book Review: "Shakespearean" by Robert McCrum
5/5 - another great and deeply-personal analysis of the bard in terms of human nature
Full Title: Shakespearean: On Life & Language in Times of Disruption by Robert McCrum
If you love Shakespeare and you want something that has a author anecdotes littered throughout like the book Mad About Shakespeare then I have to say this book is great. I am so glad I found this. Reading books about Shakespeare definitely makes me think I have friends. The bard is my friend, I hope the people who write these books are my friends and you, dear readers - are my friends. The best books about Shakespeare are the ones where the author goes through their own experiences with reading Shakespeare over the years, growing up and changing emotions are some of those universal experiences that we can all relate to. So, let's take a look at Robert McCrum's Shakespearean...
The author's starting point is his own experience of illness and recovery. After suffering a stroke, he found solace in Shakespeare’s words, which helped him navigate the trauma and upheaval. I mean, this is something that everyone who has suffered from physical, emotional and mental health issues (however severe) can definitely think about: how Shakespeare can express the human condition in words. And therefore, he reflects on how Shakespeare captures the fragility of life and the resilience of the human spirit, making his works deeply therapeutic for those facing personal crises. I think I talked about this in my review of Mad About Shakespeare in which I state that Shakespeare is therapeutic. This book kind of proves that point. I love stuff like this and I like to think that you guys will too.
McCrum explores how Shakespeare’s mastery of language shapes our understanding of the world. He highlights the bard's ability to capture complex human emotions in just a few words, making phrases like “to be or not to be” and “the wheel is come full circle” part of our cultural DNA. I mean, how many people know Shakespearean phrases without having read the plays? I know right - it's a lot. That, my friends, is the reach of Shakespeare and we are all here for it. He also discusses Shakespeare’s influence on the English language, coining words and expressions that remain in use today. I remember watching some video whilst I was doing my A-Levels where a few minutes of it was on Shakespeare and the English Language and it was fairly funny. It was about the history of the English Language. This idea in McCrum's book makes me think about that video.
It also makes me think of this poster I have. Mine's a little beige though but the same stuff is on it. I think it is super cool and wanted to share it with you. All the stuff in black is a Shakespeare quotation...
A central argument in the book is that Shakespeare’s works contain universal truths about the human experience. McCrum examines how characters like Hamlet, Lear, and Prospero grapple with identity, mortality, and the search for meaning. He suggests that Shakespeare provides a mirror in which we see our own fears, desires, and struggles reflected. Reading this book alongside Mad About Shakespeare by Jonathan Bate has been literally the most blissful experience. I've been learning all about how these two men state that Shakespeare is more than just a great playwright to study - he is great for our mental health and wellbeing as people.
While Shakespeare is often associated with tragedy, the author highlights the importance of his comedies in offering resilience and hope. Plays like As You Like It and Twelfth Night celebrate wit, disguise, and the triumph of love, showing how laughter and adaptability can help individuals endure hardship. Seeing some comedy love in this book has made me feel so much better. My phone case and my keyring both contain quotations from As You Like It and The Tempest respectively because the language of Shakespeare's comedies is often ethereal in its quality. I mean, especially The Tempest. If you ever get the chance to read or see his comedies then I would highly recommend it. To experience the language is something else entirely.
All in all, I would say that if you like to learn about the bard through the experiences of others such as Judi Dench's Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent or Mad About Shakespeare by Jonathan Bate, then you will absolutely adore Robert McCrum's Shakespearean. It is a fantastic and compelling read about the universality of his language, his plays and his storylines.
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Comments (2)
Also, interesting to find this in the Geeks community.
This book is something I would certainly enjoy reading, especially in these times of writing and language disruption.