The Shakespeare Secret

6 Reviews

• 

  Sometimes far too slow, sometimes too repetitive. I enjoyed and loved the first book, "The Shakespeare Secret", as much as I longed for "The Shakespeare Curse" to come to an end.
  Idea could be intriguing, but the way facts and twists have been exploited is not even similar to the genius behind the f ... (continue)

  Sometimes far too slow, sometimes too repetitive. I enjoyed and loved the first book, "The Shakespeare Secret", as much as I longed for "The Shakespeare Curse" to come to an end.
  Idea could be intriguing, but the way facts and twists have been exploited is not even similar to the genius behind the first chapter of the saga.
  It really seems that this second book tries to run after the success of the first one. We're now facing the magic and the mystic and even if they've been linked to historical facts and places and works it's still far too improbable.

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  Drawy82 said on May 8, 2010 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

• 

  An interesting mystery novel on the traces of "The Da Vinci Code", with less hype and about the same writing style - decent but not amazing. And less of a page-turner, too. Still, a very entertaining read.

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  Marco Piva said on Feb 10, 2010 | Add your feedback

• *** This comment contains spoilers! ***

  

  Tied to the story, twist after twist

  The idea is brilliant: an investigation not only on *what* has gone lost of Shapespeares's work but also on *who* he really was.

  A simple jewel leads Kate, an Howard intelligent disciple, to a long trip all around the world, from the superb lights of London's Globe theatre to the desert lands of Ar ... (continue)

  The idea is brilliant: an investigation not only on *what* has gone lost of Shapespeares's work but also on *who* he really was.

  A simple jewel leads Kate, an Howard intelligent disciple, to a long trip all around the world, from the superb lights of London's Globe theatre to the desert lands of Arizona.
  Historical characters and events, some of them unknown, some others barely known, are presented one after one and, suddenly, linked each others. Reader can't help but going on, trying to understand why they are and how. And, above all, how all that can demonstrate that Shakespeare, an author whose private life is a blank page, indeed never existed. The most likeable theory is that he was nothing but a fake. An imaginary figure created by five different persons with a deep interest in theatre and poetry. But, in the same time, the small looks the author gives about a misterious woman and Shakespeare himself, looks dated XII Century, puzzle the mind. Changes arrive so sudden and unexpected that's almost impossible to follow the running of the events. But, in the end, everything is perfectly clear.

  A crazy plot involving real characters - fictional and historical - that, despite the usual thriller's setting, are well-defined and likeable.

  Impossible to avoid thinking about similarities with Da Vinci Code's plot. As it happens in DVC, also in SS there's a wordly famous figure - in this instance, a playwriter - who's kinda of... fake. What people in the world have always known on Shakespeare is nothing but a trick. His personal story, so obscure and unknown, is rather different from the story supposed by historians and written in books.

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  Drawy82 said on Dec 29, 2009 | Add your feedback

• My thoughts

  This was a very good literary thriller set in London, Harvard and the American southwest. I liked the mix of literary clues set in archives and libraries.

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  krin5292 said on Jul 6, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 

  A clever book that I preferred to the Da Vinci Code, although that may be my interest in Shakespeare.
  It was one of those books that kept you suspended throughout with the twists regarding the killer, the plays and the identity of Shakespeare himself.
  The historical flashbacks and the acad ... (continue)

  A clever book that I preferred to the Da Vinci Code, although that may be my interest in Shakespeare.
  It was one of those books that kept you suspended throughout with the twists regarding the killer, the plays and the identity of Shakespeare himself.
  The historical flashbacks and the academic speak stopped this book from being a completely absorbing read, and at times I found it difficult to see the reason for some characters relationships.
  Overall it was enjoyable and informative and as I love historical fiction it was the sort of book I was bound to enjoy.

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  Hyoung said on Mar 7, 2008 | Add your feedback

• 

  Not just another DaVinci Code

  I’m one of those people who judges a book by its cover - which is how I came to pick this book up - although I almost put it straight back down when I saw the mention of the Da Vinci Code on the front! I enjoyed that book but don’t want to waste time reading carbon copies. But this is about Shakespe ... (continue)

  I’m one of those people who judges a book by its cover - which is how I came to pick this book up - although I almost put it straight back down when I saw the mention of the Da Vinci Code on the front! I enjoyed that book but don’t want to waste time reading carbon copies. But this is about Shakespeare rather than Templar nights and the Holy Grail, so I thought I’d give it a go.

  I was actually pleasantly surprised - yeah it bears a similarity to the Dan Brown tale - a search for buried treasure where the heroine gets crossed and double crossed along the way - only this time the conspiracy theories are based around the infamous Bard.

  We join Kate Sinclair as she finds herself thrown into a treasure hunt - for a lost manuscript and Shakespeare’s real identity - while a twisted killer leaves a trail of bodies whose deaths reflect those of victims from Shakespeare’s plays.

  I have to admit that I struggled at times with the academic references to events that occurred in the 1600s but Carrell does a good job of keeping the story moving at a good pace and keeping you guessing as to the real intentions of the characters that Kate encounters during her quest.

  I’ve spent an enjoyable Sunday getting caught up in the adventure and would recommend the book - if you liked the DVC but have had enough of the Knights Templar then this may well be right up your street! And if you’re not sure about reading it - I can see it hitting the silver screen at some point in the future.

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  apfopd said on Jan 22, 2008 | Add your feedback

Book Details

• Rating:
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• English Books
• Paperback 480 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0751540358
• ISBN-13: 9780751540352
• Publisher: Sphere
• Pub date: Jan 04, 2008
• Also available as: Mass Market Paperback, Hardcover, Others and eBook
• In other languages: other languages Deutsche Bücher, Libros en Español, Livros em Português, Libri Italiani, Svenska böcker, Suomenkielisiä kirjoja

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