A fascinating account of how Shakespeare’s works were understood and valued by readers and writers from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, before Shakespeare’s biography came to dominate readings of his plays and poetry.

In the audiobook Shakespeare Without a Life, Margreta de Grazia explores Shakespeare’s reception between 1600 and 1800, a time when he had no biography to shape public understanding of his work. The author uncovers how the absence of a life story influenced the appreciation of Shakespeare’s writing and how the anecdote played a vital role in literary criticism. This version highlights key aspects of Shakespeare’s life and his writings, such as the Sonnets, while emphasizing the categories of genre that helped organize his canon. The narration brings to life the complexities of assessing Shakespeare without the lens of a biography, offering listeners a unique perspective on the poet’s legacy.