Shakespeare's Wife - by Germaine Greer (Paperback)

About the Book

Part biography, part history, "Shakespeare's Wife" is a fascinating reconstruction of Ann Hathaway's life. Greer steps off the well-trodden paths of orthodoxy, asks new questions, and begins to right the wrongs done to Ann Shakespeare.

From the Back Cover

Little is known about Ann Hathaway, the wife of England's greatest playwright; a great deal has been assumed, none of it complimentary. In Shakespeare's Wife, Germaine Greer boldly breaks new ground, reclaiming this much maligned figure from generations of scholarly neglect and misogyny. With deep insight and intelligence, she offers daring and thoughtful new theories about the farmer's daughter who married Britain's immortal Bard, painting a vivid portrait of a truly remarkable woman.

Review Quotes

"Intriguing . . . A portrait of life in Stratford circa 1600 on almost every level and in every aspect." - Booklist
"A richly textured account...Greer's theory about Shakespeare's relation with his wife is original and persuasive...She reminds us of facts other critics have ignored." - Marilyn French, Publishers Weekly (Boxed Signature Review)
"Lively, rigorous, fiercely imagined...an ingenious new book..." - Katie Roiphe, New York Times Book Review
"A riveting read...Not only Greer's scholarship but her sympathy and her imagination are fully engaged." - Victoria Glendinning
"Illuminating...Greer's book opens up new perspectives in offering alternative hypotheses to many of the all-too-easy assumptions about Shakespeare's wife and his relationship to her...This is an important book in the challenges that it poses to received opinion. It will have a permanent and beneficial effect on attempts to tell the story of Shakespeare's life." - Stanley Wells, New York Review of Books
"Fascinating...Greer meticulously exposes the sexist biases underlying depictions of Ann...and re-creates in lavish detail the material realities of women's lives in 16th century England." - Entertainment Weekly
"With a dazzling display of erudition and lively prose, SHAKESPEARE'S WIFE is a delight to read and a breath of fresh air for those interested in the Bard's life... Even those who disagree with Greer's interpretation should find SHAKESPEARE'S WIFE stimulating. Her radical exploration of Ann Hathaway is a compelling triumph." - Roger Bishop, BookPage