Critical Praise

"How refreshing to have a study of Shakespeare that avoids the flatulent portentousness of the 'higher' criticism and that sets off immediately in an authentic human voice--the voice of a cantankerous, obsessed Texan, rattling and skidding over the landscape, a sort of dirty-mouthed Lionel Trilling lobbing improprieties at us. Among his many felicities, we should all especially applaud Gollob's saving Shakespeare for the Jews, or rather for the Judeo-Christian tradition, in which Shakespeare--despite the claptrap from some critics about his being a nihilistic existentialist--is as securely planted as an everlasting oak."

——Thomas Cahill

"We should have known all along--all of us whose books Herman Gollob made so much better during his brilliant career as an editor. We should have known that when he got around to writing his own book, it would be as smart, as funny, as knowing, as crisp, and as pleasurable to spend time with as the man himself. Somewhere right now, Shakespeare is bragging to his friends: 'Me and Herman . . ."'

——Bob Greene

"Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as a well educated, intellectually curious book editor. His name is Herman Gollob, and he has written a remarkable, witty, and wise book about his love of Shakespeare, at once a kind of a memoir and the record of one man's search for meaning in the plays of Shakespeare. It's almost as much fun as lunch with Herman, and that's saying a good deal, and immensely perceptive and challenging for anybody who shares Herman's love for the plays. I had a great time reading it."

——Michael Korda, author of Making the List and Another Life

"Shakespeare is more fun now than he ever was in this household before, mainly because Herman Gollob has run him all around Texas and introduced him to real barbecue. This book is a pure delight, even if you don’t have a castle or a ghost to hang out with."

——Dan Jenkins