Stalking Shakespeare by Lee Durkee was an impulse pick for me. The art history aspect caught my attention and had me curious. The personal bits of the book were entertaining! Durkee goes through a divorce and finds himself obsessed with finding an original painting of William Shakespeare. His wry sense of humor shines throughout the book and kept me reading. However, the details about the different portraits he obsesses over get very deep into the weeds. I learned quite a bit about the art of the Elizabethan era. I also learned about the fashion of the era, the history of the era, the politics of the era, etc., etc. There was a LOT of information. That almost lost me. But Durkee’s humor would draw me back in. If the history books I had in high school were this entertaining, I might have learned a bit more back in the day!
The humor saved the book. If you’re an Elizabethan era history buff, or a die hard Shakespeare fan, this book may be more your speed. I didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t a favorite either. I ended up giving Stalking Shakespeare three out of five stars.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Mysteries and Mayhem 