What Blest Genius?

The Jubilee That Made Shakespeare

Andrew McConnell Stott

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Hardback

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English

Norton
03 May 2019

Art Treatments & Subjects; Literature, Poetry & Criticism

The remarkable, ridiculous, rain-soaked story of Shakespeare’s Jubilee: the event that established William Shakespeare as the greatest writer of all time.

In September 1769, three thousand people descended on Stratford-Upon-Avon to celebrate the artistic legacy of the town’s most famous son, William Shakespeare. For three days, attendees paraded through garlanded streets, listened to songs and oratorios, and enjoyed masked balls. It was a unique cultural moment— a coronation elevating Shakespeare to the throne of genius. It was also a disaster. The poorly planned Jubilee imposed an army of Londoners on a backwater town ill- equipped to host them; meanwhile, rain fell in sheets and the whole town seemed like it might wash away.

Told from the dual perspectives of David Garrick, who masterminded the Jubilee, and James Boswell, who attended it, What Blest Genius? is rich with humor, gossip and theatrical intrigue. Recounting the absurd and chaotic glory of those three days in September, Andrew McConnell Stott illuminates the circumstances in which William Shakespeare became a transcendent global icon.

By: Andrew McConnell Stott
Imprint: Norton
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: 2nd Revised edition
Dimensions: Height: 218mm, Width: 147mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 405g
ISBN: 9780393248654
ISBN 10: 0393248658
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 03 May 2019
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Andrew McConnell Stott is the author of four books. The recipient of the Royal Society of Literature/Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction, he is professor of English at the University of Southern California and lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews for What Blest Genius?: The Jubilee That Made Shakespeare

On the non-fiction side I enjoyed What Blest Genius? by Andrew McConnell Stott, a diverting account of the Shakespeare Jubilee of 1769 in Stratford-upon-Avon... -- Nick Curtis, The Best Books of 2019 - Evening Standard ... lively account... -- 100 sizzling summer books - Mail Online This is the hilarious tale of a poorly organised three-day festival in Stratford-Upon-Avon in 1769 that launched the bard into the mega-celeb he is today... A comedy of errors as funny as Twenty Twelve. -- Literature Books of the Year 2019 - The Sunday Times ... curious, passionate revisions of the Shakespearean myth... remind me why I came to enjoy Shakespeare so much in the first place. -- Emma Smith - Literary Review ... highly entertaining book... sharp-eyed and funny account... Stott's book is a glorious study of the mother of all heritage events, and it's an excellent reminder of why they should be avoided like the plague. -- Emma Smith, Book of the Week - The Guardian McConnell Stott writes with a clear brisk style and also an evident enjoyment of language... -- Times Literary Supplement McConnell Stott's wildly exuberant new book... has brought this odd and oddly resonant event to enchanting and illuminating life. -- Simon Callow - The Sunday Times