The Players: A Novel of the Young Shakespeare

by Stephanie Cowell

In 1564 a boy was born to a middle-class family in the little town of Stratford.Thirty-four years later he would write Hamlet .  In between was his both troubled and carefree childhood, his disastrous forced marriage and his early wild years in London poverty with the brilliant young writers and actors who were forming the Elizabethan Theater. But even as he was rising into his first successes as a writer, he fell into a passionate bisexual love affair with his patron and an Italian girl musician that threatened to bring down both his work and his life.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Shakespeare, Novels

252 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1997

About the author

THE MAN IN THE STONE COTTAGE, a novel of the Brontë sisters, is set in 1846 Yorkshire, where the three sisters - Charlotte, Anne and Emily - navigate precarious lives marked by heartbreak and struggle. Charlotte faces rejection from the man she loves, while their blind father and troubled brother add to their burdens. No one will publish their poetry or novels. Amidst this turmoil, Emily encounters a charming shepherd on her solitary walks on the moor, yet no one else has ever seen him. Several years later, Charlotte, who is now the successful author of Jane Eyre, sets out to find him. THE MAN IN THE STONE COTTAGE is a poignant exploration of sisterly bonds and the complexities of perception, asking whether what feels real to one person can truly be real to another.

My previous novel, THE BOY IN THE RAIN, set in Edwardian England 1903, is a love story between two men, a shy young artist and a rising socialist speaker, as they struggle to build a life together against personal obstacles and the dangers of prosecution under the gross indecency laws. CLAUDE & CAMILLE: A NOVEL OF CLAUDE MONET is the story of Monet in his 20s and 30s as he struggles to sell his work and manage his love for the beautiful, elusive Camille who would die young and forever remain his muse.

My other novels MARRYING MOZART, THE PLAYERS, THE PHYSICIAN OF LONDON AND NICHOLAS COOKE all continue to find readers. They were translated into several languages and MARRYING MOZART was turned into an opera.

I was born in New York City and have lived in the same apartment for 50 years. My heart is half in England/Europe where I have family and consider myself an emotional citizen there.

Please do visit my website StephanieCowell.com

Reviews

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars- English Ebook

Review follows later.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very impressive sense of time and place -- even the dialogue was period-appropriate rather than being transliterated for modern tastes. I lost some interest when the story moved away from Shakespeare's interactions in the theatre world, but this was very enjoyable overall.

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Stephanie Cowell's "The Players: A Novel of the Young Shakespeare" was a well written novel that transports the reader back in time to Elizabethan England. The story starts in William Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford. Young William matures into a young adult and accidentally gets an older woman, Anne Hathaway, pregnant. The two marry and have three children. Shakespeare realizes he has dreams and other interests in his heart that he desires to pursue. He travels to London by himself where he begins a career as a playwright and actor. He dutifully sends money home to his family on a regular basis. In London, his life fills up with colorful characters. Shakespeare becomes obsessed with Emilia Bassano, an Italian musician, and the Earl of Southampton. A passionate love for both characters ensues. I would recommend this book especially, to fans of William Shakespeare.

[Martha Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this portrayal of the young Shakespeare, and the prologue is one of the most beautiful and wise pieces of writing I've seen in years. The author captures the ambience of both the small town Stratford and the boisterous, rowdy London. I won't forget the bittersweet depiction of Christopher Marlowe.

[Suzanne Hess · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit trashy in areas, but overall not a bad fluff read.

[Elaine Cougler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Players by Stephanie Cowell is about the young Will Shakespeare, and as such is quite fictional. In spite of its lack of authenticity, the book catches one's attention with its interweaving of Shakespeare's life with the writing and subject matter of his earlier works. The sonnets mentioned are particularly well integrated with day-to-day events. I enjoyed this but found the overall book a pale shadow of Cowell's first two books of her proposed trilogy about Nicholas Cook. I hope she will get back to writing the third.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is about Shakespeare. Not the accomplished master playwright, but the young man trying to make his way in life and in London as a writer. Cowell shows a Shakespeare who is not sure of himself, who is in the process of discovering who he is and what he wants. And she does it in beautiful prose awash in sensual detail.

[Annabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's nothing earth-shattering about this book, and it's hard to buy the idea of the young Will as having fallen into a menage-a-trois with an Italian courtesan and a local princeling. The only saving grace here, as far as this reader is concerned, is the little knowledge I gathered about his early life, family and friends: John Heminges, Ben Jonson, Kit Marlowe.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephanie Cowell is a wonderful writer — sensual, fresh, original ... inspiring. A writer's writer: no higher praise.

Sandra Gulland

Author of the Josephine B. Trilogy and Mistress of the Sun
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh wow. I LOVE anything and everything Shakespeare. But this book...yawn!! It was incredibly difficult to get through...the story was completely lost in all of the mundane details. Which is a shame. I was prepared and expecting to love this book.

[lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, but frightfully boring! Can't believe I actually made it through.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Stephanie Cowell's writing! This is herfirstforay into the times of Shakespeare and her books only get better.