RA Matrix

Reduced Shakespeare: The Attention-Impaired Reader's Guide to the 

World's Best Playwright     

by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor

 

Where is the book on the narrative continuum?  Highly fact based.

What is the subject of the book? Shakespeare's plays, the 16th c. in  England, and what little factual information there is about him. 

What type of book is it? Reference.

Appeal

       Pacing: It reads quickly as it presents facts with a lot of humor.

 

       Characters: Shakespeare, his contemporaries, and the characters in his plays.

       Feel of the story: Informative.

       Intent of the Author: To introduce and educate readers about Shakespeare's plays through humor, without being overbearing or overwhelming.

       Focus of the story: Shakespeare and his plays. 

       Does language matter? No, there are only a few quotes of his plays.  

       Is the setting important and well described?  Yes. The authors refer to where the plays were performed and who performed them, where Shakespeare lived and worked, and what life was like in Elizabethan England. 

       Are there details and, if so, of what? Yes. There are many details about who may have been Shakespeare, the Elizabethan era and random facts given throughout the book about his plays.

       Are there sufficient charts and graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? There are some graphics which are useful and educate.

       Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding or experience? Yes. The authors inform the reader about who Shakespeare may have been, what it was like to live in England during his lifetime, the political climate during that period and how those living there would have experienced his plays. The book also discusses what the plays are about, and if they are well-written or not.