I am reading with great pleasure the new book by Katherine Chiljan entitled SHAKESPEARE SUPPRESSED. This is the best book I have seen within the past several years for explaining the reasons why "William Shakespeare" was a pen name and why many intelligent readers and playgoers have questioned whether the Stratford resident was the same man as the great author. His background is so different from the content of the plays that people have had to make guesses about the life of the Stratford man to make him seem to have had experiences for which there is no documentary evidence.
Chiljan gives facts and clearly explains what conclusions can be drawn from them, yet she does not advocate for any particular candidate as the true author. She also explains why the biographic details of the author have been suppressed and why his plays were not published during his lifetime. His first published work was a poem, "Venus and Adonis" in 1593.
Her knowledge of the Renaissance period, its many poets and playwrights, the plagiarism problems, and the political realities of Elizabethan England has created a solid, authoritative picture of Shakespeare's life and times. If you read only one book about the Shakespeare authorship question, this would be a fine choice to start.
Helen Heightsman Gordon
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