The Shakespeare Stealer
 First edition | |
| Author | Gary Blackwood |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Shakespeare Stealer trilogy |
| Genre | Historical fiction, young adult novel |
| Set in | Elizabethan England |
| Published | 1998 (E. P. Dutton) |
| Media type | |
| Pages |
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| Awards |
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| ISBN | 0-525-45863-8 |
| Followed by | Shakespeare's Scribe |
The Shakespeare Stealer is a 1998 historical fiction novel by Gary Blackwood. Taking place in Elizabethan England, it recounts the story of the orphan Widge whom his master sends to steal Hamlet from The Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was an ALA Notable Children's Book in 1999.[2] Blackwood published two sequels, Shakespeare's Scribe (2000) and Shakespeare's Spy (2003).
Plot summary
In the late Elizabethan era, a 14 year old orphan known only by his nickname, Widge, has learned shorthand from his previous master, a preacher who wanted Widge to steal other preachers' sermons. Bass, his new master, wants to use Widge's skill to transcribe William Shakespeare's Hamlet before Shakespeare prints it. Widge sets off to London with Falconer, a ruthless man whom Bass assigns to ensure Widge succeeds. Hamlet's performance so enraptures Widge that he forgets his assignment. When he returns for a second try, his notebook is stolen. Widge returns, posing as a hopeful player. The Lord Chamberlain's Men accepts him, and for the first time, Widge feels like a part of a family. Falconer constantly presses Widge to steal the play, causing Widge to try to avoid him. After Falconer dies in a duel with Lord Chamberlain's Men's sharer Robert Armin, Widge remains at the Globe to work toward his dream of being a player.
Characters
- Widge: an orphan who does not know his real name. He was born in 1587. Widge's previous master taught him charactery, a shorthand language, to steal other preachers' sermons. His current master wants to use Widge's shorthand to acquire Shakespeare's Hamlet, which has not been printed for the public.
- Alexander 'Sander' Cooke: Widge's closest friend when he starts his acting career at the Globe Theatre
- Julia 'Julian' Cogan: Widge's second closest friend. The other players discover at the end that she poses as a boy to be allowed on stage.
- William 'Will' Shakespeare: The playwright of the Lord Chamberlain's Men and the ghost in Hamlet.
- Simon 'Falconer' Bass: Widge's second master who wants him to steal Hamlet. Bass disguises himself as a messenger, Falconer. At the end, Falconer reveals that he is Bass, as he dies.
- Nick: An arrogant member the Lord Chamberlain's Men with Widge, Sander, and Julian. He does not like playing lower parts (i.e. women's roles) and often comes in drunk and late. A university student nearly kills him, but Widge saves his life. He accidentally pierces Julia's chest which leads to the discovery of her secret.
- Odin: stupid
Awards and nominations
- 1998 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year[1]
- 1999 ALA Notable Children's Book[2]
- 1999 ALA Best Book for Young Adults[3]
Sequels
The novel's popularity led to two sequels, Shakespeare's Scribe (2000), Shakespeare's Spy (2003),Shakespeare's apprentice (2009) The four novels were published together as a trilogy in a single, 784-page volume in 2004.[4]
References
- 1 2 "SLJ Best Books 1998". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
- 1 2 3 "1999 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
- 1 2 "1999 ALA Best Books for Young Adults". American Library Association. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
- ↑ "Bookshelf: Children's Books in Brief". New York Times.
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