By Any Other Name: A Novel

I really liked the character Emilia. This book goes between two main characters from present time to the 1500s which is a little hard to get use to in the beginning but after a while it didn’t bother me much. Like all of Jodi Picoult’s books this book is well researched and great! Love books with strong female characters.

This book is a masterpiece. If you know anything about Shakespeare, the ideas that Picoult introduces in this novel will not really surprise you-- but confirm a few suspicions you might have about the Bard. It will make you think about everything you have ever read about the playwright who has been called one of the greatest writers who ever put ink to paper. I loved the historical detail of Elizabethan England as well as the juxtaposition of a modern Shakespearean heroine caught up in a web of deceit and love. This was such a well-written, thought-provoking, and interesting read. I could not put it down once I stopped tabbing every Shakespearean reference I recognized. If you have ever read or acted in a play attributed to Shakespeare, or like me, taught his works to students, or fell in love with his plays and poetry as a student and reader-- you need to read this book. If you are a woman who writes or a woman who works in theatre-- you need to read this book. If you are are woman-- you need to read this book.

"Shakespeare is not just a playwright; he's practically a religion." It has long been theorized that our beloved Shakespeare might not have been the original author of the plays and sonnets we grew up learning. Many do not want to hear it or question their blind allegiance to him. Others, like @jodipicoult, have looked at the seemingly glaring data in front of us and come to another conclusion. There are many theories that it was a group of authors that contributed under the name of William Shakespeare. What Picoult argues is, could it not be that the writer of the most timeless female characters (Ophelia, Lady Macbeth, Viola, Portia) not, in fact, also be a female? And is it not more likely the case? She tells a fictional story, based on extensive research and historical data, that makes this claim very believable. She gives life back to the name Emilia Bassano. In 1999, I took a couple of courses in college called Shakespeare 101 and 102 and fell in love. It was so interesting and eye opening to reread these famous words from a different perspective. To look at his famous portrait from a different perspective. I really enjoyed this book and it was so well researched and well done, it would be hard for me to give it anything less than five stars.

I kept putting off reading this book because of its length. Even when I started reading it two days ago, I lamented at how long it would take to read - HA. It was worth it and had to be this epic to truly capture the heartbreaking life of Emilia. Oh what a thought, and the author makes a fantastic case both in the story and in her note at the end. Book #114 in 2024

❤️💔