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Greer, Germaine : Shakespeare's Wife

McClelland & Stewart, Toronto, 2008

ISBN 9780771035821

A polemical, ground-breaking study of Elizabethan England that reclaims Ann Hathaway's rightful place in history.Little is known about the wife of the world's most famous playwright; a great deal, none of it complimentary, has been assumed. The omission of her name from Shakespeare's will has been interpreted as evidence that she was nothing more than an unfortunate mistake from which Shakespeare did well to distance himself. Yet Shakespeare is above all the poet of marriage. Before him, there were few comedies or tragedies about wooing or wedding. And yet he explored the sacrament in all its aspects, spiritual, psychological, sexual, sociological, and was the creator of some of the most tenacious and intelligent heroines in English literature. Is it possible, therefore, that Ann, who has been mocked and vilified by scholars for centuries, was the inspiration? Until now, there has been no serious critical scholarship devoted to the life and career of the farmer's daughter who married England's greatest poet. Part biography, part history, Shakespeare's Wife is a fascinating reconstruction of Ann's life, and an illuminating look at the daily lives of Elizabethan women, from their working routines to the rituals of courtship and the minutiae of married life. In this thoroughly researched and controversial book, Greer steps off the well-trodden paths of orthodoxy, asks new questions, to right the wrongs done to Ann Shakespeare. 406p. bibliography,i ndex.. Book. Book Condition: As New. Binding: Hardcover. Jacket: As New

1st Canadian Edition.

Greer, Germaine : Shakespeare's Wife

HarperCollins Publishers, New York City, NY, 2007

ISBN 0061537152

First Edition / First Printing. As New in As New Dust Jacket. 406 pages. Book-length account on subject. Now considered a contemporary classic. The first appearance of the title in the United States. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents Germaine Greer's "Shakespeare's Wife". A brilliant re-imagination, based upon extant documents, of the most fascinating and important character in Shakespeare's real life. "In 1979, Greer wrote 'The Obstacle Race: The Fortunes of Women Painters And Their Work', which helped save several women artists from obscurity. Now, she turns her attention to another shadowy figure, Ann Hathaway. Greer wants to rescue Hathaway from the frantic fantasizing of the Bardolators, who would have us believe that Shakespeare left Stratford for London in order to escape an unhappy marriage. Maybe, and since the cupboard is so bare of facts, Greer can do no more than speculate herself. But her speculation is based on careful sifting through every shard of contextual evidence: Archives, records, registers, and literary works, not just as they relate to the Shakespeares and the Hathaways, but also to their place and time. What we get is a portrait of life in Stratford circa 1600 on almost every level and in every aspect: The practice of medicine, the brewing of ale, birth, marriage, and burial. Greer provides an intriguing analysis that helps us understand more about the person Ann might have been" (Mary Ellen Quinn). "Cites the desire depicted in 'Venus And Adonis' (about an older woman and a younger man) and suggests that some of the sonnets were written to Ann. Offers theories and not, she is careful to state, a definitive narrative. The theory that seems most to have inflamed British critics is that Ann may have paid to have Shakespeare's plays printed after his death. Since many wives do publish their husbands' work after their death, I'm not sure why this is considered so heretical. But Greer knew it would be" (Marilyn French). An absolute "must-have" title for Germaine Greer collectors. This copy is very boldly and beautifully signed in black pen-marker on the title page by Germaine Greer. It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. This title is a contemporary classic. As far as we know, this is the only such signed copy of the First American Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright, a pristine beauty. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. One of the most brilliant writers of our time. A fine copy. . ISBN 0061537152.

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