Bob Dylan & William Shakespeare: The True Performing of It

by Andrew Muir

A young man, dreaming of conquering the entertainment world, repeatedly copies what went before until he feels in command of the art that inspired him. He succeeds and achieves artistic greatness while simultaneously entertaining the crowds. The language of the street and The Bible reside together in his writing. Everyone has questions about him. Where do his ideas come from and how did he go from dreaming of being a poet to turning popular entertainment into works of acclaimed genius? This story could start in 1590 or 1960. In either case the paths of these two, and the answers to the questions, are startlingly similar. By placing the work, circumstances and careers of Bob Dylan and William Shakespeare side-by-side in The True Performing Of It Andrew Muir throws new light on the artistry and achievements of both men.

368 pages, Paperback

Published May 21, 2019

Reviews

[James Klagge · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. I first really got interested in Dylan's work after reading Bob Dylan Performing Artist 1974-1986 The Middle Years in 1991. You generally have to listen to bootlegs to appreciate all the differences/nuances of Dylan's performances, but I found it fascinating and entertaining. And it makes sense that the same would be true of performances of plays. I know less about Shakespeare, but Muir made a good and interesting case. The subject also interests me because, as a scholar of the work of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein I have focussed on his lectures, and how they differ from and enrich his writings. Similar issues arise when thinking about the ideas of Socrates and Jesus, who operated only as performing artists!
Worth the read for those who want to go beyond the printed word to the living word.

[Katedurie50 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is obviously a labour of love and there is much to enjoy here. It casts light on collaborations and plagiarism, and these sections raise questions about an artist's dependence on both tradition and contemporaries. Overall I find many of the incidentals more engaging than the main thesis - Muir knows that some of the links he makes are fragile and may be more readily attributed to coincidence or common stock images. But it makes the reader think and appreciate, and both are good.