OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Lady of the Play" by Deena Lindstedt.]

There are speculations that the real Shakespeare was not Shakespeare. Some people say they are not sure if his name was William Shakespeare. What if Shakespeare was a lady? Elizabeth (Ely) Trentham is the second wife of Edward deVere, the Earl of Oxford. She has left traces behind her that Cynthia Parsons found 400 years later. She is convinced Ely and her loving husband Edward collaborated and created Shakespeare we know today.

Lady of the Play is a well-researched book, and I am sure Deena Lindstedt spent a lot of time making this masterpiece perfect. This book has two storylines, and the author mixed them beautifully. These two storylines are connected no matter they happened 400 years apart. What I like the most about this book is the writing style. The author kept it quite simple for such a sensitive theme. The character I love the most is Cynthia. She is brave, stubborn, and eager to find the traces Ely left behind. She faces people who want to shut her down and prevent her from revealing her discoveries. I thought this would be a regular historical book that tells stories I already heard before, but Deena Lindstedt proved me wrong.

There are twists in this book I certainly did not expect, and that made it even better. Since I know very little about Shakespeare and his works, Lady of the Play was an educational piece, too. I learned a lot about him, his plays, and his life. I also love the last few chapters of the book because that is where all the tension in the book is released. I have to admit there is nothing I dislike about it. I am happy that this book made a positive impact on me.

The editors did magnificent work since I found zero errors in this rich book. I noticed only light profane words throughout the text and no erotic scenes at all.

I am giving Lady of the Play 4 out of 4 stars. This book is written beautifully, has no errors, and I learned a lot from it. I highly recommend it to those who like Shakespeare and similar authors. Readers who love historical fiction will love this book, too. I think Lady of the Play may be a little bit complicated for the younger population, so I do not recommend it. Although this book spreads over 400 pages, it was a quick and light read.

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Lady of the Play
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I love a good conspiracy theory. This seems like an interesting read.

I love reading theories on certain issues. I would love to read this.

Finding a strong fact on history about Shakespeare is really interesting,most people will consider it a conspiracy theory because it's against the conventional knowledge we have

You can always find a reason to make something be not as it seems. I tend to think that I am not being lied to. However, I can see how William Shakespeare could be someone else.

I like that it focuses on a conspiracy theory, something I'm always very interested in. The allure of mystery seems to permeate this entire book, and I can't wait to check it out. Excellent review!

Really enjoy reading the historical perspectives of anti-Stratfordians (those who think that William Shakespeare was an actor who published works for someone else who couldn't publish themselves). I've read a couple theories and like to share them with my students. I don't see it as conspiracy. It would be the equivalent of a ghost writer or a nom de plume.

Thank you for your interesting review. I'm looking forward to checking this book out.

I have never heard a conspiracy theory regarding Shakespeare. I think I should read this one. Thank you for the in-detail review.

This seems to be an amusing story. The theme as evinced from the review appears complicated to me.
Thanks for the excellent review.