Shakespeare is Hard but so is Life

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

The works of Shakespeare have become staples of literature. They are everywhere, from our early schooling to the lecture rooms of academia, from classic theatre to modern adaptations on stage and screen. But how well do we really know his plays?

In this witty, iconoclastic book, the bestselling author Fintan O'Toole examines four of Shakespeare's most enduring tragedies: Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and King Lear. He shows how their tragic heroes have been over-simplified and moulded to fit restrictive, conservative values, and restores the true heart and spirit of the classics.

'I've never read a book like this before: it's challenging, irreverent and funny.' Roddy Doyle

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Paperback / softback
ISBN13: 9781035908707
Published: July 2025

Number of pages: 208
Width: 128 mm
Height: 198 mm
Depth: 22 mm

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC