Shakespeare: The World as Stage - Bill Bryson

The Basics: Shakespeare: The World as Stage, Bill Bryson, 2007, 208 pages, hard cover

How I found it: This book was on a bunch of bestseller lists for a while. I'm not a huge Shakespeare fan, but I did study his works a whole bunch. As well, I've read most of Bryson's work and enjoyed it.

What's it about?: This is a biography of Shakespeare for the lay person, written in Bryson's joking style. The book exposes how little is actually know about Shakespeare's life, and at times is a bit more about life in London in Shakespeare's time than about the man himself. The book also briefly delves into the controversy surrounding whether or not Shakespeare actually wrote some or all of his works.

Did I like it?: I found this book to be a quick and easy read. I learned a lot about what we know and don't know about Shakespeare's life, and about the wild speculation a lot of scholars have engaged in over the years. However, I wasn't that into this book, despite how easy it was to read since I just didn't find the content that interesting. I did find Bryson's argument about what might and might not be true about Shakespeare's life to be quite convincing, however.

Will you like it?: I think this is a must read for casual fans of Shakespeare, especially if you don't know anything about the man behind the literature. However, if you're not into Shakespeare, perhaps you won't find this book that interesting.

But don't take my word for it: The usual product info and reader reviews from Amazon, a review from the UK's The Telegraph, a review from the blog ShakespeareGeek, another one from another blog (ricklibrarian), and finally one from the Times Online.

King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema - Anupama Chopra

The Basics: The King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema, Anupama Chopra, 2007, 250 pages, hardcover

How I found it: This book was mentioned by another book blogger, lotusreads so I thought I'd check it out. I grew up in the multi-cultural city of Vancouver, and often watched Bollywood music videos on TV, so I was already interested in Bollywood in general.

What's it about?: This is part biography of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and part history of Bollywood from its origins in the '20s to the present. It is written to cater to readers who have no working knowledge of Bollywood and its culture, so I guess it is primarily for a Western audience.

Did I like it?: I didn't particularly enjoy this book. While it wasn't bad, it just wasn't good either. It is written well, and organized well, but I'm not really sure who this book is for. If you are a fan of Shah Rukh, the book is probably too much of an overview and tells you things you already know. If you don't know much about Shah Rukh, as I did, you are presented with only an idealized picture of him. As well, it is unclear how the Bollywood history piece fits into a biography like this one.

Will you like it?: If you are interested in Bollywood, this might be a good read. However, I am sure there must be better books on the history of Indian cinema. If you are interested in learing about Bollywood, renting a film is probably a much more entertaining way to go about it.

But don't take my word for it: The usual industry blurbs from amazon, a review from the New York Times, and one from the Delhi based Hindustan Times.

Geisha, A Life - Mineko Iwasaki

The Basics: Geisha, A Life, Mineko Iwasaki with Rande Brown, 2002, 297 page, paperback

How I found it: I have been fascinated with Japan and Japanese culture since high school. One of my favourite books is Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha, and I also really enjoyed Liza Dalby's Geisha. I did some searching at my local library to see if I could find some real, rather than fictionalized, memoirs of a geisha, and came up with this book.

What's it about?: This is Iwasaki's autobiography. Due to complicated family circumstances, she was adopted into a geisha family as a young child and school in the Japanese fine arts, especially dance. She excelled and as a teenager debuted as one of the top geisha in Japan. She tried to enact reforms in geisha society, but was unsuccessful so she chose to retire at age 29 at the height of her popularity.

Did I like it?: I really enjoyed this book. It is not as sensational as Memoirs of a Geisha, but that's okay since it seems so much more real. Iwasaki has lead a very interesting life. She also spends portions of her book explaining how geisha society works, which was educational. Unlike the protagonist in Memoirs of a Geisha, I didn't really identify with Iwasaki. I found a lot of the decisions she made quite strange. However, she is a strong, independent Japanese woman, which is a rarity and is commendable.

Will you like it?: If you are at all interested in geisha, this is a great book to read as a sort of counterpoint to Memoirs of a Geisha. That book is a better story, but this is real life, and there is something to be said for that.

But don't take my word for it: The usual info and reader reviews from Amazon, a review from the Asian Review of Books, a review from a westerner living in Japan, and one from the UK regional newspaper Echo.