Coffee with Shakespeare

Coffee with...

by Stanley Wells, Joseph Fiennes (Foreword)

the most famous writer who ever lived; a man whose career arouses heated controversy. Stanley Wells, described as the world’s leading Shakespeare scholar, chats with the Bard about life, love, writing, and acting, as we follow his steps from a small town in Warwickshire to center stage in Elizabethan London. Joseph Fiennes, who played Will himself in Shakespeare in Love , provides an actor’s perspective.
 

Genres: Shakespeare, Nonfiction, Biography

144 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 2008

About the author

Stanley William Wells, CBE, is a Shakespeare scholar and Chairman of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Reviews

[Leena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such an interesting idea! Imagine meeting Shakespeare for an interview... the author really manages to keep this playful and short but still informative. There are a few speculations instead of facts in this book, but the author always points out before so that the reader knows whether he reads facts or theories about Shakespeare. Overall I really recommend it, especially to people who are looking for an easy entry into Shakespeare!

[Alex Moller · Rating 5 out of 5]

No better and more interesting way to learn more about the man himself - Shakespeare. This fictional account of an interview between the author and Shakespeare based on what is known about the renowned historical and almost mythical writer is engaging and fun to read. Very creatively written and brings Shakespeare back to life like never before. If you're looking to learn more about Shakespeare and are simultaneously looking for an easy read, then look no further.

[Alicen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great concept- a famous Shakespeare critic interviewing Shakespeare back in the day- but doesn't have enough information to be interesting to everyone, nor specific enough details to be interesting to hard core nerds.

[Faith Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! Although there were only a few pages towards the beginning of the book telling actual facts about Shakespeare and his life, and despite us knowing so little of him, there is logic and history that guide us to discover what he may have been like, along with what he liked. From how it explores his personality to his thoughts and emotions, this fictional interview with the famous playwright is a delightful read.

There is brief sexual content, which was unnecessary (not to mention unrealistic--throughout the book, Shakespeare was surprised that in modern day, this happens, in modern day, that happens, so logically, although he spoke in modern language, he would have still been accustomed to traditions of his times, including talking about such matters being strictly forbidden).

All the same, the book was worth reading and over too soon! 3.5/5 stars.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book presents a fictional conversation between Shakespeare and an interviewer. The conversation covers various aspects of the Bard's life, from his education in Stratford-upon-Avon to his collaboration with John Fletcher at the end of his career in London.

Despite its fictional nature, the book is based on documented biographical fact. Of course, parts of it require "reasonable surmise", but the conversation is so convincing and Stanley Wells is such an authority on Shakespeare that it seems fairly safe to take this surmise for granted.

I recommend this fantastic little book to anyone interested in Shakespeare or early modern England. It's highly accessible and is a very quick read.

[1.1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, imagine if you had the chance to have coffee with Shakespeare. Would you rake him over a bunch of dusty topics from his time or would you ask him what was up? If you were inventing the situation and writing it out, would you go the fanciful or factual route?

Wells goes for facts instead of conjecture, and while this is a good coffee table book for dipping into, there’s not a ton of feeling or joy in the writing. It’s a factual and dry conversation between a scholarly guy and Willy Shakes, who is obliging to a fault the entire way. Not even a soliloquy to close it out.

Still, pretty good for all that, quite factual, and really short. You could read this in the space of 2 to 3 coffees on a weekend morning and have the rest of the day to find weightier fare.

[Suad Shamma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Shakespeare. I really do! And I'm not referring to his work here. He was such an incredibly interesting character! I really enjoyed reading this and taking it as an insight into who he was and what he was like. It's so impressive how he was able to create a name for himself and even more so, it was refreshing to learn that he was actually aware of his fame while he was alive.

It was cool to hear a bit of backstory on his writing process, on his inspirations, and the plays and poems he wrote. It was really interesting to get a glimpse into how he created certain characters or why he wrote certain scenes, and it was also very cool to know that a lot of his work is an adaptation or rework of existing stories.

He really is a legend.

[Stefan Grieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Facts about Shakespeare intercut with a made-up interview with him.

An interesting idea, although since most of the interview is Will just saying more facts on his life with occasional nuance, it's a bit redundant. If there was more character on display in the interview, and in a way that was less displaying Shakespeare like a jolly genial posh uncle to which I don't assume... well we can only speculate as really, the man is mostly legend. All we really have is his words.

Still, this is quite entertaining, and for those with limited knowledge but would like to know more about the man in a fun way, well, this books the thing.

[Andy Plonka · Rating 3 out of 5]

The two people who marked this book as nonfiction did not read it very carefully. A large part of this small book is a conversation between the author (who is still living) with Shakespeare who died in the early 17th century which is clearly impossible and therefore by definition fiction. The conversation was a clever way to introduce some little know facts about the Bard and it was an amusing read.

[Nicholas Zacharewicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A condensed but fun imagined interview with The Bard of Avon himself.

Not being a Shakespeare scholar myself, I can't speak to how "accurately" Will is rendered here, but I bought into the premise willingly and with ease.

I think that if you're open to it and at least a little interested in Shakespeare, you'll likely find that this book is a quick and entertaining read.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read for lovers/ teachers of the Bard!

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although completely fictional, this "interview" with Shakespeare is based on solid research. Not a long book, but fun to read.

[Rosemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute little book. It's only about 5" x 6" and 135 pages.

It's written in the form of a conversation with William Shakespeare - as if you were having coffee and chatting with him.

I've taken various English classes that have discussed Shakespeare, and thought I knew something about him, but I was surprised at how much I didn't know. In fact, I learned so much that I changed my mind about giving the book away when I was done. I will be adding it to my tiny book collection.

It's also a series, and I might want to check out some of the other famous people on the list for a coffee date. :)

[Cricket Muse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shakespeare expert Stanley Wells provides an entertaining means of getting to know a few more interesting bio notes of the Stratford writer by inventing a Q&A coffee conversation. A succinct combination of fact and supposition creates an enjoyable and informative read.

[Frankie Laird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally don't review the books I read, mostly because I'm lazy, but also because I tend to read classics and reviewing a book that is already deemed a classic feels unnecessary. However, I really must take the time to say a few words about this imaginative little book. The basis of the book is a fake interview with Shakespeare (of course). I expected it be a bit hard to swallow. Anyone attempting to take on the voice of such a figure - one that is loved, widely known, and yet very much a mystery - has a huge challenge ahead of them. However, Wells does an excellent job of portraying the voice of Shakespeare without sounded melodramatic or fake. He does not attempt to write Shakespeare's dialogue in verse (which I think would have been a disaster) nor does he force the rich language for which Shakespeare's work is so well known. Instead, he gives him an intelligent, light-hearted, and relatively informal tone, one that I believe fits well and is not overly ambitious. The book is a lovely combination of biographical/historical fact and conjectural detail that really gives it character. Though I did not love some of the responses he has Shakespeare give to his unnamed interviewer (some are a bit short or simple) I found myself smiling at the rich detail throughout this little book and I was terribly sad when the interview ended and the stories which came to life in the Bard's answers stopped flowing.

[Beril · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wished this little book was longer and more comprehensive. It was a refreshing way to learn about Shakespeare, an author many people, including myself, are intimidated to read. Definitely made him feel more real and approachable and humanized the literary genius.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not at all what I expected. Somehow I was thinking it would be either (a) funny or (b) profound. Instead it was simply interesting. Basically it was a lot of information about William Shakespeare and who he most likely was in the form of a get-to-know-you chat over coffee. I was at least expecting quotes from his plays or poetry for the answers or parts of the answers, but they were offered merely as chapter lead-ins if anything. Some people would argue that the author went a ways off script, since he talks about aspects of Shakespeare's life where people can only speculate and conjecture, but with the words in the Bard's mouth as if they were gospel truth instead of what we think they must have been based on our understanding of human nature. I don't ascribe to Shakespeare as holy writ, so it didn't bother me too much, but then, I have read enough about the man and the myth to know where definitive evidence on one stops and the other begins.

[Hil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this because I found it on sale in the Theatre Store, at the Stratford Festival. The concept is very interesting and unique. I started reading it within minutes of purchasing it, and read it every second leading up to the start of the performance I was seeing, and at intermission.

It is a quick easy read. Much of the information a Shakespeare "buff" already knows, but it is still worth a read.

[Bachyboy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what I hoped for; perhaps some deep insight into the man but of course so little is actually known about him so it was no wonder this felt like a textbook. Good idea for the series but this was not so good.

[Michelle G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was on sale and I said: why not?
It was really interesting to learn a bit about this man who didn't left behind anything more than his brilliant work. I'm just gonna go ahead and trust the assumptions of Stanley Wells.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as interesting or as engrossing as Coffee with Buddha.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just my sort of book....what better to read over a freshly brewed pot of coffee. I have put the Coffee with Mark Twain on my list as well.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't find the Q&A series (Shakespeare...off the record) so this will have to do!

An enjoyable, light read for my plane ride from JHB to CT.

[Fareed · Rating 2 out of 5]

never liked the guy, but the book was good..

[Neha · Rating 3 out of 5]

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