Readaloud: "The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606

This is a read-aloud session, with all text shared on-screen, and discussions of what we just read between rounds – like a small-group seminar. There are no prerequisites; you do not need to purchase the book for yourself, although we encourage you to do so, as it is well worth it!

The starting point for the current session will generally be given in a pinned comment on the event page. This being a non-fiction book, you do not need to have been with us from the beginning to enjoy the session.
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[Amazon]: In the years leading up to 1606, since the death of Queen Elizabeth and the arrival in England of her successor, King James of Scotland, Shakespeare's great productivity had ebbed, and it may have seemed to some that his prolific genius was a thing of the past. But that year, at age 42, he found his footing again, finishing a play he had begun the previous autumn - King Lear - then writing two other great tragedies, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra.

The Year of Lear sheds light on these three great tragedies by placing them in the context of their times while also allowing us greater insight into how Shakespeare was personally touched by such events as a terrible outbreak of plague and growing religious divisions. For anyone interested in Shakespeare, this is an indispensable book.

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Late-comers, unless we know you, will generally not be admitted, as it disrupts the reading. However, it's fine for attendees to drop off at any time they want.