Robert McCrum - Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption

Written by Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption
Read by Ben Allen
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 128 Kbps

Shakespearean: On Life & Language in Times of Disruption
By Robert McCrum
Narrated by Ben Allen

Release date: 09-03-20
Language: English
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
Publisher: Picador
Categories: Literature & Fiction

About this listen

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 25 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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Robert McCrum (P)2020 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd

Critic reviews
“I can’t think of anything better than listening to Robert McCrum talk about Shakespeare. And this enchanting book is the next best thing - like a gentle chat with a genuine expert.” (Simon Russell Beale)