Doug Walsh > Recent Status Updates

It's no wonder this book won WA States 2021 Book of the Year award.

Only halfway through, but tempted to give it five stars if only for the first Del Dalveaux chapter alone. Most entertaining chapter I've read in years.

This book isn't as much a book about Shakespeare as it is a piece of literary commentary about those who've written about him. If Bryson is to believed, and I don't see why he should be, there is scant evidence of Shakespeare's daily life, thoughts, or comings-and-goings. We have his plays. And not much else.

Finally in the groove with this and no longer feel the need to read chapter summaries on Shmoop to help my understanding.

With over 50 endnotes for the first chapter alone (most to define foreign/religious terms), this is not a bedtime read. As with Faulkner's "As I lay Dying," I may turn to a study guide after each chapter to ensure I understood what happened correctly.

If I could spend all day reading this, I would. Alas, I've gotta limit myself to 30 minutes over morning coffee, else I'll never get my own writing done.

Learned about Edward Curtis' photography at a museum this past fall and was disappointed that the gift shop had nothing substantial about him. Little did I know that this book by Timothy Egan, sitting on my shelf, was all about Curtis.

Listening to the audiobook over the holidays.

A quiet family drama painted in a collection of vignettes that's somewhat interesting, and very nicely written at the sentence level. But I'm halfway through the book and have little sense of anything at stake (pride, perhaps?). I continue turning pages, enjoying the prose while simultaneously wondering why I'm supposed to care, and what the point of the book really is.