Mistress Shakespeare (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: master mercer, tiring room door, scented cushions, Kit Marlowe, Lord Strange, Temple Grafton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

On November 27, 1582, the Worcester archives show a grant for a marriage license for one Anne Whateley and her groom, Wm Shaxpere. Yet several days later, William Shakespeare married a pregnant Anne Hathaway. Harper's slack latest takes this mystery as its subject, imagining Anne Whateley as Shakespeare's only true love. Friends from childhood driven apart by their families' antipathy, Will and Anne rediscover each other as they come of age, and the young lovers plan to wed in spite of their families' disapproval. When Will is forced into marriage with Anne Hathaway, Anne Whateley flees to London and throws herself into her family's business, but the two reunite when Will arrives in London, and Anne becomes his tireless promoter. The novel's chief pleasures derive from the easy intersection of Shakespeare's work, the history of Elizabethan England and the life that the author imagines Shakespeare might have had. Though the Bard's language infuses the story with life, the emotions underlying the lovers' ruptures and reunions feel repetitive, and because there is never any question about how the romance plays out, the central narrative feels flat. (Feb.)
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From Booklist

Among the many mysteries of Shakespeare’s life is a marriage license issued to him and one Anne Whateley shortly before he wed Anne Hathaway. Harper spins this mystery into a novel about Shakespeare’s true love, the Dark Lady of the Sonnets. In Harper’s telling, Anne Whateley and Shakespeare are childhood friends, but after the Hathaway marriage, Whateley goes to London and makes a life for herself as a businesswoman. When the playwright embarks on his London phase, she is there, engaged in Will’s world and helping to advance his career. Harper, who writes a mystery series featuring Elizabeth I as a sleuth, knows her period well, and it shows, sometimes in the form of awkward expository dialogue but more often in sure handling of the details of politics, theater, and daily life, including some harrowing passages featuring childbirth and the plague. Though Shakespeare himself remains a cipher, Anne is an appealing and spirited heroine, and her tale will be enjoyed by historical-fiction fans. --Mary Ellen Quinn

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (February 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399155457
• ISBN-13: 978-0399155451
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #124,673 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From S. Krishna's Books, February 8, 2009

By	skrishna (http://www.skrishnasbooks.com) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History never pleased so much as this tale. Absolutely riveting., March 4, 2009

By	Bookreporter.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

"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 SHAKESPEARE could be called "The Tragedy of Anne Whateley," for she had beauty, brains and strength, but not the one thing she truly wanted: to be recognized as Mistress Shakespeare. In the end, she had to be content to know that she was. Karen Harper's beautiful yet sad love story will touch the hearts of every romantic and thrill Shakespeare fans, if for no other reason than the period detail and depth of emotion she gives us with this striking novel. History never pleased so much as this tale. Absolutely riveting.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable look at Shakespeare in love, February 8, 2009

By	C. Quinn (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I know little about the actual historical basis for this novel, but certainly enjoyed this take on Shakespeare in love. Ann Whateley is a strong woman in the cast of Elizabeth I herself, and her independence and creativity serve as Shakespeare's inspiration for many of his works. I was less delighted with her willingness to accept the poor behavior meted out by her true love, though the author did do a good job capturing the duality of Anne's feelings of love and hate.

Will Shakespeare is presented as a flawed man first, undeniable genius second. His efforts to write while earning enough to support his growing family are complicated by the complex political situation that thrives on suspicion and uncertainty. In the end, Shakespeare chooses to live in London and to write with his love, but he never really seems to acknowledge the harm he has done to both of the women in his life.

At heart, this novel is a love story, and it succeeds as such. Unfortunately, Harper falls into the trap of attempting quasi-period speech and her efforts fall flat. I found that when the characters lapsed into period language, the entire momentum of the narrative came to a halt. If it hadn't been for the language, I would have gone 4 stars, but as it is can only give this novel 3.5 stars.