Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #461864 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

Park Honan, The Times Higher
"A superb biography...this is a deeply informed study."

Review
This impressive volume must surely be recognised as the standard Marlowe biography (Roger Hards, The Marlowe Society Newsletter )

Honan's great strength lies in his ability to capture the physical texture of Marlowe's world...Honan takes it apart with patience and sound judgement. (J. P. D. Cooper, Times Literary Supplement )

'By heaven, this is an excellent, necessary and hugely welcome book. Though it responsibly synthesises previous scholarship, brings new perspectives and enlivens old, its greatest achievement is this: it presents a Marlowe that the sane can live with.' (The Independent on Sunday, Min Wild )

Honan's book is more than a fine piece if detective work revealing the seedy underbelly of Elizabethan England. It takes the reader on a round tour of Marlowe's work. (Raymond Carr, The Spectator )

There's plenty of sparkle in this book. (Andrew Dickson )

'it is an elegantly written study which must now stand as the best overall biography of one of our most fascinating writers'. s

'a splendid book' (Charles Nicholl, The Sunday Times )

'Honan has some fascinating new material.' (Leanda de Lisle, History Today )

'Honan's addition to the fleet of books already written about Marlowe is constantly readable and adept at contextualising the history of Marlowe's times around this elusive figure who still fascinates today.' (Dermot Bolger, Sunday Business Post, Dublin )

'Honan frames the scant documentary evidence with great skill, carefully establishing the historical, religious and political context for each phase of Marlowe's career, and incorporating recent research that sheds more light on Marlowe's espionage career and murder.' (William Grimes, New York Times )

a rich and subtle study, combining convincing scholarship with a fluidity and pace that will appeal to the general reader (J.P.D. Cooper, TLS )

This is a rich and subtle study, combining convincing scholarship with a fluidity and pace that will appeal to the general reader. (J.P.D. Cooper, TLS )

A superb biography...this is a deeply informed study. (Park Honan, The Times Higher )

Charles Nicholl, The Sunday Times
"a splendid book"

Customer Reviews

Strives for objectivity
Park Honan is a well-respected literature professor, though it has to be said that his speciality is neither Marlowe nor the Renaissance period. That said, this is a well-researched and well-written book. I can understand why the previous reviewer here was disappointed since Honan doesn't rave about his subject or take a hagiographical approach to Marlowe. Instead this is a judged and balanced biography which admits upfront the lack of evidence for much of Marlowe's life.

Honan intersperses the life with succint commentaries of the plays and poetry: these parts are rather odd, I found, since they are not searching or innovative enough for the Marlovian scholar, and yet oddly-aimed at the general reader.

However the work on Marlowe's spy career, and the Walsingham network is done well; as well as his theatrical career in London.

So overall this is a book which strives - and succeeds - in maintaining an objectivity and detachment about its subject. But if you want something more involved, exciting and partisan I would recommend Nicholls' The Reckoning (The Reckoning: The Murder of Christopher Marlowe).

A writers views on a genius ..
I read this book as something of a Marlowe fan, and this publication did not meet with my expectations, but maybe my oppion is at fault or I am not at ease with this writers style.

The story of Christopher Marlowes life should be vivid and exciting, Christopher comes over as a bore and tiresome, the writer looks for faults and errors in his subject and sings little praise of his talents and values.

The book is 'worthy' and a product of a bright mind but lacks the 'sparkle' of its subject.