Mistress Shakespeare

By Karen Harper

Book Overview

A bold and intriguing novel about the woman who was William Shakespeare's secret wife from New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper. As historical records show, Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451229002
• ISBN13: 9780451229007
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 1.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Mrs Shakespeare

Very good book

Shakespeare's first wife -- and jazzed up time machine

"Mistress Shakespeare" is not a novel, it's a jazzed-up time machine Harper ferries the reader to the late 1500s, through the eyes of Will Shakespeare's disputed first wife and life-long lover. Forget his acknowledged wife, Anne Hathaway, who is rarely mentioned. This is the story of Anne Whateley, who orchestrates Shakespeare's career and influences his writing. Karen Harper's latest period piece has the reader to see, through the eyes of Shakespeare's disputed first wife Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton, that the Bard wrote many plays for himself, to have the lead role, much as current film icons write, produce, direct and star in their own films. Shakespeare's acknowledged spouse is Anne Hathaway. With whom was Shakespeare in love? That is the question. Harper defines historical novel, without using cumbersome Olde English, and even has protagonist Anne Whateley call Shakespeare "Will," much as Brits today refer to Princess Diana's eldest son as "Wills." With impeccable historical research, Harper has written a score of Elizabethan-era novels, including nine historical mysteries--starting with "The Poyson Garden"--with the first Queen Elizabeth (who never had an ocean liner named for her) as amateur detective. Harper's Dark Angel earned the Mary Higgins Clark Award by the Mystery Writers of America. Her best-selling The Last Boleyn was re-released in early 2007, for an encore appearance on The New York Times bestseller list. Harper has the queen's closest councilor opine of Anne Whateley that "The beauty does have hidden fangs as well as a clever brain." Through Whateley, the reader relives a simpler--yet more complex--life in late 1500s London. Anne Whateley began in obscurity but influenced a most famous person. Queen Elizabeth the First is not pleased with Will Shakespeare's literary jab at Her Highness, but Whateley diffuses the situation, by explaining inferences made by characters in one of Shakespeare's plays commissioned by the queen. Elizabeth Tudor comments of Whateley's wit, "Behind every man there is a strong woman." Ay, there's the rub. Characters tell of customs today borne centuries ago. An infamous London jail is called the Clink; drums pounded as they herald the beginning of a performance are referred to as "drumming up business." This historical novel successfully allows the reader to see the effects of The Plague, when Whately escapes through the window of a house boarded up, to keep a possibly contaminated person from being in the streets. When Anne Whateley is discovered by playwright Christopher Marlowe to be disguised as a boy to protect herself in London's mean streets, Marlowe says, "We're all in disguise one way or the other." With a saucy retort, Marlowe opines that Whateley's "clever and tart tongue is tastier than a sweet one." Harper successfully weaves history into her tapestry by recanting the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots shortly before sinking of the Spanish Armada in 1588, both of which established El

Can't put it down

After getting through the first 30 pages of this book I found I couldn't put it down. Karen Harper creates a persona behind the well-known words of Shakespeare and the love story between him and the main character, Ann Whateley, is irresistable. I highly recommend it.

History never pleased so much as this tale. Absolutely riveting.

"The rendering of my thoughts, emotions and experiences is part comedy and part tragedy as well as history, for life is such a mingling. And so, I write this report of the woman born Anne Rosaline Whateley, she who both detested and adored a man named William Shakespeare." Now comes the tale of the great bard of Avon, wonderfully humanized and told from a woman's viewpoint. Anne Whateley, William Shakespeare's first --- and secret --- wife, pens her story in five acts. More than a love story, it is a romantic chronicling of the writer's career, his greatest love and his forced, loveless marriage. As youths in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Anne Whateley and Will Shakespeare were great friends. She had a talent with words such that she could inspire the poet even when he was a mere lad. The two sparred with each other by dueling with couplets, striving to outdo the other with their cleverness. They spent many happy days romping around the English countryside as children. Intrigued in the way of carefree young people, they slaked their curiosity by experiencing their world to the fullest. But as they grew, so did their desires, and they found themselves almost unwittingly becoming lovers. Driven not by lust but by something much larger, they forever hungered for each other, feeling wretched in the times they were apart. Some people are simply meant for each other, and so it was with Anne Whateley and Will Shakespeare. But their happiness was not to be so simple, for another Stratford girl, Anne Hathaway, laid claim to Will as the father of her child. There was nothing to be done but for Will to marry her. Heartbroken, Anne Whateley moved from Stratford to London, where she could try to mend her emotions. Her beloved Shakespeare would remain in Stratford with his new family, giving her a chance to try to forget him. With a love as deep-rooted as Anne Whateley's, forgetting was not something she could do easily. She was miserable without him, aching for the next time she would see him, feel his touch and hear his voice. In the meantime, she began to test the climate in London for Will's writing, for though she cursed him for his attachment to his Stratford wife --- chosen or not --- she could not rid herself of wanting him. If London wanted him, too, then she could once again help him with his writing. And if they became close in other ways --- well, she would face that if it happened. History tells us that Shakespeare wrote prolifically while living in London, but Miss Whateley's history tells us of him as a person, in his depressions, anger and passions. Why did he write "Romeo and Juliet"? For whom were the sonnets written? Where did his inspiration come for "The Taming of the Shrew?" Anne Whateley will tell you she saw herself in many of the plays' scenes and characters. It may be true. She had Shakespeare's ear, and his love. The other Anne had his children, but never his heart. This pair may be Shakespeare's real star-crossed lovers. MISTRESS SHAK

I, Will, Always Love You!

George Santayana warned leaders and citizens alike, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Karen Harper's Will Shakespeare goes one step further with a quote that deeply resonates throughout this novel narrated by his "real" wife, Anne Whateley, "The past is prologue. All is true." Beginning with a youthful romance and secret wedding, Anne records her love/hate relationship with Will as he struggles to escape the glove-maker trade and become a poet/playwright in a world that sharply degrades and damns the latter trade. But creativity and love are the the true prologue that unites Will and Anne through multiple tragedies such as the suicide death of a beloved friend, Kat, over lost love; the death of Anne's father; Will's forced, loveless marriage to Anne Hathaway; and far too numerous other family member deaths. Readers will enter the world of Queen Elizabeth I, the Gloriana monarch revered by Anne but mistrusted by Will. For it is widely believed that the Queen's Players, the dramatists Thomas Kyd, Ben Jonson, John Lyly, George Peele and especially Christopher Marlowe are perhaps spies for the monarch in one way or another. Still their talent places them in the forefront of Will's competition as he slowly but surely earns his fame as poet and playwright in his own right. The Earl of Southampton becomes Will's patron through Anne's mediation, a relationship that becomes a liability when the Earl's relationship connects him to the political rebellion led by the Earl of Essex. These glorious pages teem with the creative process Will and Anne share in writing and producing Will's famous plays, beginning with Love's Labour's Lost, written for Anne, a tribute and tragic look at their relationship. Friends are innumerable who help Will obtain the monies he needs to begin his literary career which flourishes. Anne and Will survive the devastating Black Plague and the treachery of former friends and foes. The tension never lags in this most tempestuous relationship fraught with fear of discovery and jealousy, the conflicts a catalyst for even more vibrant, vivacious plays and poetry that thrill and entrance theatre-lovers from the Queen and subsequent King James to the majority of common English citizens. Yes, history is prologue, building and forging historical and personal relationships that endure because of Will and Anne Whateley's writing, a searing sword piercing every thought, word and deed to expose the truth defining the essence of human beings. Mistress Shakespeare is a beautiful, well-plotted, intricately characterized novel that will become a classic for sure of superb historical fiction! Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on February 16, 2009

From S. Krishna's Books

I found the premise of Mistress Shakespeare very interesting, even moreso by the fact that, as the author explains in the Afterword, it seems to be based in fact. First of all, it is well known that William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway did not have a happy marriage. He spent most of his time in London, writing and acting in his plays. Harper surmises the reason is because he was actually betrothed and in love with another woman, Anne Whateley. Historical records actually support this claim; the Worcestershire Records Office shows that on the day before he was wed to Anne Hathaway, William Shakespeare was issued a marriage license to marry someone named "Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton." Harper takes this small piece of information that most historians have dismissed as a clerical error and fleshes it out into the story of an independent and strong woman named Anne Whateley. Anne is a great character; she is feisty and funny and incredibly stubborn. She doesn't believe that Elizabethan England is a man's world; she takes her inspiration from the queen herself and proves that savvy and smart independent women can make it in the world. Her love story with Will is turbulent and stormy, but it is clear why these two love one another. The book itself is full of rich, historical details about the time period. Harper obviously did careful research into Shakepeare's life; there seem to be a lot of in jokes that only someone well acquainted with him would appreciate. In order to fully grasp the book, it is necessary to have knowledge of Shakespeare's plays; otherwise many of the references contained within the book will not make much sense. Mistress Shakespeare is a must for any fans of Shakespeare, and would be enjoyable for any fan of historical fiction. I definitely recommend it.