Here, in gorgeous, tender, and lyrical prose, Smith tells the story of a life shaped by Shakespeare's poetry. Melding tragedy and comedy, he gracefully weaves together the stories of his bittersweet childhood, his struggle to help his parents care for his handicapped sister, his early experience as Hamlet's dresser for the Shakespeare festival, his poignant experiences teaching Shakespeare to seniors, and dozens of illuminating scenes from Shakespeare's plays.
Hamlet's Dresser is a redemptive memoir of a man made whole by art and an intimate encounter with the plays and sonnets that will make readers fall in love with Shakespeare again, or for the first time.
About the Author :
Bob Smith has devoted his life to teaching and directing Shakespeare, working with college students, famous actors, and the elderly. He recently moved back to Stratford, Connecticut, where he was born.
Bob Smith has devoted his life to teaching and directing Shakespeare, working with college students, famous actors, and the elderly. He recently moved back to Stratford, Connecticut, where he was born.
Review :
"A masterpiece. That's all there is to it...there's nothing, absolutely nothing, like Mr. Smith's book."
-- "Frank McCourt, New York Times bestselling author"
"Bob Smith will take kids, grandparents, office workers, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, anyone who opens Hamlet's Dresser, on an illuminating trip through the words of Shakespeare. What an odyssey!"
-- "Eli Wallach, actor"
"Full of tragedy and joy, a story of family and art and heartbreaking sadness."
-- "Kliatt"
"In this extraordinary memoir...Bob Smith writes and reads like a dream. There's not a false note, written or spoken, in this complicated story; this easily hits my top 10 list of best audiobooks ever made. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award."
-- "AudioFile"
"Smith's memoir tenderly breaks your heart into pieces and, with the sagacious insight derived from a lifetime of Shakespearean study and familial suffering, weaves it into a resplendent crown of joy."
-- "Library Journal"
"This is a magnificent book. I have never read anything quite like it before. The writing is masterful, poetic, sad, and brilliant."
-- "Neil Simon, playwright"
