Loving Will Shakespeare

by Carolyn Meyer

Loving Will Shakespeare

book data

92 ratings, 3.49 average rating, 26 reviews (more data...)

edit

published

2006 by Harcourt Children's Books

binding

Hardcover, 272 pages

isbn

0152054510 (isbn13: 9780152054519)

description

Poor Anne Hathaway is still living with her callous stepmother, and her prospects for marriage and a home of her own are becoming grim. However, she c...more

find at: Amazon | Half.com | Barnes & Noble | Abebooks | compare prices…

Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.

new topic
discuss this book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

friend reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

lists with this book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

other reviews (showing 1-20 of 161)

All ratings | 5 stars (20) | 4 stars (23) | 3 stars (34) | 2 stars (12) | 1 star (3) | avg 3.49

all | this edition

R.j.

R.j. rated it:

11/19/08

Read in November, 2008

recommends it for: shakespeare fans, history fans

I liked this! I thought the historical stuff was done very well -- the author has obviously done a great deal of research. I'm no authority on Shakespeare or his times, but she certainly put in a lot of little details of language and culture that sounded convincing.

I also appreciated the way that Carolyn Meyer made Anne spirited and intelligent while still allowing her to be flawed and making her a believable product of her time -- while she's smart, she doesn't display an improbable...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Sarah

Sarah rated it:

09/05/08

recommends it for: Ages 11 and up

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

This is a TERRIBLE book! Arrg! It follows the life of Agnes "Anne" Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare, and let me tell you, it wasn't a happy one.
The book starts out with the death of Anne's mother. Unable to run a household and a farm by himself, her father remarries a bitter spiteful woman named Joan who hates Anne, and likewise. Joan starts having tons of children (one of which is the equally bitter and spiteful Joan Little), and the little cottage becomes very crowded.
Then...more This is a TERRIBLE book! Arrg! It follows the life of Agnes "Anne" Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare, and let me tell you, it wasn't a happy one.
The book starts out with the death of Anne's mother. Unable to run a household and a farm by himself, her father remarries a bitter spiteful woman named Joan who hates Anne, and likewise. Joan starts having tons of children (one of which is the equally bitter and spiteful Joan Little), and the little cottage becomes very crowded.
Then Anne hooks up with this totally hot hay farmer who’s been working for her dad, but then he tells her, “I’m running from the law cause I poached a deer!” So Anne decides to run away with him but she can’t do it because she can’t leave her sister Catty alone with the evil stepmother!
So then Anne’s little sister Catty falls in love with her teacher, but he totally ignores her because she’s only 14 and he’s 24 (NO COMMENT!). But it turns out that he really has a thing for Anne, so he starts courting her and Catty is like, “Thanks a lot, sis!” And he asks Anne to marry him and even though Anne isn’t really in love with him, he’s nice and smart and can teach her to write, so she says, “Okay!” and is pretty happy for awhile because she’s excited to get away from her stepmother… and who wouldn’t? But THEN The Plague sweeps through all the land and he gets killed! And Anne is really sad.
Then Anne's father dies and Joan is like, "I hate you and I'm sick and tired of having you around, so hurry up and get married! Besides, you're getting really old (Anne is 21) and men won't go for an old woman!" So she's forced to become betrothed to Joan's disgusting nephew Hob (even though Anne has had a secret crush on Will Shakespeare), and once Anne finds out just how gross he really is, she's like, "Forget it!" and Joan is all ticked off.
Then- what do you know?- young, strapping, handsome Will Shakespeare comes home from school and they're both like, "Hey! What's shakin’?" so they get together but then Anne finds out that's she's pregnant and she's like, "Drat!" so she has to hurry up and marry Will before anyone finds out.
So then the newlyweds have to move in with Will's parents (nice) and after a year or so Will's like, "Hey btw do you mind if I just run into London real quick to do some acting?" and Anne cause she loves him is like "Sure!" and Will leaves her and their like 5 kids alone for London.
Well, it turns out that he's having such a great time that he wants to stay longer... so he just extends his stay from 1 year to 24 years and comes back every summer for 2 weeks to see his children, wife, and parents (who are all STILL living together, even though Will has his own lavish apartment in London).
So awhile after Will visits one summer Anne finds out that she's pregnant again, but this time when the baby's born it's really sick and she's afraid it's going to die, so she quick writes a letter to Will but he doesn't come home until the boy has already died.
So at the funeral he blames himself and Anne is like "It's okay I don't blame you" but really she does because Will has left her alone all these years and after they've been married for like 30 years (26 of which Will spent in London) Will finally comes home because he's really sick, and Anne is sad because a.) he's not the same Will she fell in love with and b.) he's finally come home to be with her, but only because he's dying.
So Will dies and a few years later Anne dies (from a broken heart, I think) and for all that William Shakespeare wrote about love he sure didn't apply any of what he learned to his own life. The End....less

Like this review? yes

4 comments

Becky

Becky rated it:

07/24/08

Read in August, 2006

Told from Anne Hathaway's perspective, LOVING WILL SHAKESPEARE, is her memoir of sorts. Using the framework of her just having received a letter from her husband in 1611, the rest of the book is her recollection of her life up until that point...a sharing of sorts with the reader of how the then-famous Shakespeare had become her husband. Starting with her early childhood she recounts what life was like growing up in a rural village. Meyer provides the reader with a detailed, believable setting. ...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Jennifer Wardrip

Jennifer rated it:

05/06/08

bookshelves: personal-read, trt-reviews

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Having been fortunate enough to have read Ms. Meyer's previous release, MARIE, DANCING, I was anxious to read her take on the life and times of William Shakespeare. Although I must admit that I enjoyed MARIE, DANCING, based on Marie van Goethem and the role she played in becoming the inspiration for Edgar Degas's sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, just a tad bit more than LOVING WILL SHAKESPEARE, I did thoroughly enjoy this book.

LOVING WILL SHAKES...more Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Having been fortunate enough to have read Ms. Meyer's previous release, MARIE, DANCING, I was anxious to read her take on the life and times of William Shakespeare. Although I must admit that I enjoyed MARIE, DANCING, based on Marie van Goethem and the role she played in becoming the inspiration for Edgar Degas's sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, just a tad bit more than LOVING WILL SHAKESPEARE, I did thoroughly enjoy this book.

LOVING WILL SHAKESPEARE is the story of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes "Anne" Hathaway. Anne, however, is the main character in this story, and although I wasn't disappointed, per se, I can admit that I was hoping for more of an intimate look into Mr. Shakespeare himself.

Having lost her mother to illness, Anne finds herself with a new stepmother, Joan, who is eerily reminiscent at times to the evil stepmother portrayed in the classic story of Cinderella. After the last attempt to fix her up, yet again, with a cruel and intolerant suitor, Anne realizes that she's been looking for love in all the wrong places. But how can she be in love with young Will Shakespeare, though, when she's known him since he was a toddler?

In love with him she is, although it takes her awhile to act on her feelings. Thankfully for Anne, Will returns her love. Not so fortunately, however, is the fact that Will has the desire to write sonnets and poems, to act on the stage, to travel the world and see the sights. All Anne has ever wanted is to be married, to raise children with a man she loves, in a home they can call their own. When they finally do marry, Anne realizes quite quickly that the permanent, loving homestead she so desired will undoubtedly be one without the constant presence of her husband.

LOVING WILL SHAKESPEARE is intriguing, to say the least. It's interesting to see how Anne and Will fall in love through friendship and the course of time. While beautiful, it's also haunting, to know that this couple stayed married for more than twenty years, during which time Will was hardly ever at home with his wife.

This is a great read for lovers of history, or for those interested specifically in the life of William Shakespeare. I can honestly say that I feel like I know Will and Anne Shakespeare--or, at least, know of a young man and a slightly older woman who were, once upon a time, madly in love. ...less

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Kellyn

Kellyn rated it:

02/28/08

bookshelves: england--historical-fiction, gepl, historical-fiction-juvenile, young-adult

Read in January, 2008

Carolyn Meyer creates a fictional account of William Shakespeare’s romance with and marriage to Agnes “Anne” Hathaway. Barely any information about Anne exists which allows Meyer to imagine the relationship between Anne and Will. The strength of this account lies in it’s depiction of daily life in late-16th century rural England. Class structure, education, marriages, illness, death and work are all artfully presented. The story, however, does not work. I never cared for the charact...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

April

April rated it:

11/10/08

bookshelves: 2008, nerd-, young-adult

This book is built on the premise that Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway were totally in love with each other when they got married.

Agnes "Anne" Hathaway narrates the story, beginning with baby Will Shakespeare's christening.

[Is it gross to change your future husband's diapers? I say YES.:]

We don't actually know a lot about Shakespeare, and we know even less about his wife. Using the VERY few facts available, the author creates a love story that COULD be true, maybe. The...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Kathyred

Kathyred rated it:

05/26/08

bookshelves: historicalfiction, ya

audiobook. Historical fact: William Shakespeare married Agnes "Anne" Hathaway when he was 18 and she 25. They had 3 children, then he moved to London and became famous. He returned to Stratford-upon-Avon shortly before his death, when he left her his "2nd best bed". So what was she really like? This story imagines what her life was like from the bare bones of known fact. Very well read w/ excellent voices.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Elizabeth

Elizabeth rated it:

03/20/08

bookshelves: english-historical-fiction

Read in March, 2008

I really like the writing style of Carolyn Meyer because she can write a story that would be depressing written by someone else ( like Bette Greene. I found that her writing in Summer of my German Soldier and Morning is a long time coming was very depressing), but she makes it entertaining and at least some-what happy.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Erika

Erika rated it:

10/22/08

I loved this book!!! I love most of the classic books and so this was really good even though it isn't really considered a classic book. It tells of Will Shakespeare's future wife, Agnes (he calls her Anne though).It's wonderful if you're into the whole Shakespeare thing (which I am).

Like this review? yes

2 comments

Kristen

Kristen rated it:

07/13/08

bookshelves: romance-y, youngadult

Read in July, 2008

This book dives into the viewpoint of Anne Hathaway - a girl who is unsuccessful with love and after such atrocities, finds herself in love with the younger (by 7 years) William Shakespeare, who she grew up with. The story was quite moving and kept you interested until the end.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Trish

Trish rated it:

10/31/07

Read in October, 2007

I listened to this book and it was ok. It gave some interesting details about Stratford-on-Avon and how life was there when Shakespeare was growing up. The book is really about Ann Hathaway's life (how the author imagined it)and dealt mostly with the time before she was married.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Sol

Sol rated it:

07/31/08

bookshelves: historical-romance

i thoguht this book was a good explination of anne's life even if it was fiction... i mean you here all these stories about how their marrage was an unhappy one and im glad that there is one book (even if it is fiction) that contradicts that theory!

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Janis

Janis rated it:

03/24/08

bookshelves: young-adult

Read in March, 2008

Carolyn Meyer's books are short enough to read quickly, but the stories are quite compelling. This one was an interesting view on Shakespeare's youth from the vantage point of his future wife. Too bad it ends sadly (I think all her books end sadly).

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Rachel

Rachel rated it:

08/29/08

Read in August, 2008

I really like this author. In this book, as in others I've read, the author takes a story that has only some known facts and makes the rest of the story up herself. This was a lovely, well-written story. Everyone should read it.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Sara

Sara rated it:

05/07/08

Read in October, 2007

Did you know William Shakespear was married and to a woman 10 year older than him? It was interesting seeing the other part of Shakespear, his origins and family that have nothing to do with the plays we read in high school.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

M rated it:

08/10/08

This historical fiction novel was an interesting read about Ann Hathaway, who married William Shakespeare. Although it is almost all pure ficiton, it gives you a good feeling about the time period.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Heather

Heather rated it:

04/09/08

Read in April, 2008

This book was a quick read. I haven't read a lot of books about Shakespeare's life. This is one version of his love life that no one really knows about. It was a pretty good story.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Snorkle

Snorkle rated it:

04/03/08

bookshelves: young-adult

If you are going to take history and twist it into a novel then you should at least twist it enough to have a happy ending. This book did not meet my expectations, do not bother reading.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Julia

Julia rated it:

07/28/08

This book tells you the unknown story of William Shakespears life. I'm not sure about what is fact and fiction, but no matter what, it's a book that should be read.

Like this review? yes

12 comments

Julie

Julie rated it:

01/10/08

bookshelves: young-adult

Read in January, 2008

Rather a sad tale, loosely based on fact and largely imagined, since so little of the lives of Will Shakespeare or Anne Hathway were documented.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 next »

recent status updates | recommend it | blog it

combine
other editions (1)