Matt McAvoy Book Review

The real star of this literary fiction eye-opener is Anthony Wildman’s writing; smart and well-accomplished, his prose is exquisite at times.  Clearly the author has pushed out all the stops and worked his mental muscle to the limit, learning and composing in the sixteenth-century vernacular of Shakespeare himself.  This is in itself surely a nigh on impossible task, but Anthony undoubtedly gives it his best shot – and to hugely impressive effect.  Long and wordy, this is a true showcase in the literary craft, and his author is definitely one to watch in this respect.  

Personally, I think the book itself is perhaps a touch too long, and not really the better for it.  The story is a pretty good one, though, even if it does perhaps take one or two liberties with Shakespeare’s missing years; it portrays him unambiguously as actively bisexual and an agent of espionage, the former only ever supported by rumours and hearsay, which feels a tad unjust and a touch cheeky.  The latter I assume has no historical foundation, though I will confess that I know too little of Shakespeare’s life story to challenge it, in honesty.  One thing is for sure: Anthony has filled the chronological blackspot with a deft arc, superbly crafted, and the story he has constructed is a good one.  The lengthy word count, to be honest, I felt drew energy and attention away from this clever work, and for many drawn out periods it felt a little laborious to keep fully engaged with.  There were times when I would rather it just got back to the story, as I was eager to see what happened next.  When it did, in fairness, it didn’t disappoint.  Low-key and very smart, it is a subtly penned tale.

Wildman knows his history, and he knows the English language at its finest – both important qualities when crafting prose on Shakespearean London in the Elizabethan era.  He paints a vivid picture, and you can indeed see, hear and smell – even taste – the streets and taverns.  It is as polished a portrayal of the period as you are likely to read, and I applaud the author for it.  It is fair to say that I enjoyed this book a great deal, its length aside, and could not imagine a more appropriate approach to its subject matter than that which Anthony presents us with.