Picoult is truly at her best with this one. I always love a dual narrative, especially with dual timelines, and I found the premise of this one completely fascinating. I’ve heard questions about the authenticity of Shakespeares work before but this was so thought provoking and intriguing! I also loved the present day timeline - it had similar themes and also entirely new ones which made the entire read really compelling.

Initially when I starting reading By any other name I didn't think I'd see the book through. I had absolutely zero interest in reading about William Shakespeare and it also felt like a major turn away from Jodi Picoult's regular style of writing. However, within a few chapters in I was hooked!

Based in 16th century England we meet Emilia Bassano, the woman that many people now believe to be behind the true writing of William Shakespeare's plays. In a male dominated world Bassano knew that her talents for writing would never be tolerated or appreciated at a time when women were confined to role of being a mother and wife. On a parallel course several centuries later is her direct ascendant Mel, who is also a playright and also failing to make a big impression in the male dominated playright world.

This book was eye-opening and really did make me think. I was unaware of the whole narrative that Shakespeare may not be responsible for his most famous works and this book truly did make me think. A fantastic read and I'm glad I persisted with it.

I knew of Jodi Picoult, but this is my first dip into one of her books. Her style was immediately inviting and I found myself snuggling in with what might have been an otherwise challenging and chunky novel! Relatable characters, an intriguing plot and time-skips that helped the story rather than delaying it. The pages flew past and I found myself rooting for both heroines, past and present.

I'm an English Lit graduate who managed to retain my love of Shakespeare, and admit to being a little leery of the premise here. I needn't have worried. The woman-focused perspective is handled deftly and with care, and Jodi clearly doesn't have a drum to bang in the politics of Who Wrote Shakespeare - she's just telling a story based on a story, as he did.

This is a tale about women working to raise their voices, standing in their truth despite the expectations of society. I suspect it'll become ever more relevant as these difficult times move on, and I do hope that it's passed around to inspire other creative women in turn.

Thoughtful and full of strength, this is a novel for smart women disguised as what 'women's fiction' is expected to be.

This appeared in YOU magazine


By Any Other Name
&&&&&
By Jodi Picoult
Michael Joseph

On no, not another theory on who really wrote Shakespeare’s plays – that’s what I thought when I first opened this novel. I should have known better as Jodi Picoult always does mountains of research and then puts her own unique spin on things.
In this case she draws upon the remarkable life of Emilia Bassano who became England’s first professional poet in the 16th century. There are some who think that in addition to her poems, she wrote dozens of plays that were attributed to Shakespeare – and that’s what Picoult explores in her book.
Although Emilia was educated, she was denied a voice of her own because in Elizabethan England women weren’t allowed to publish plays. Desperate to get her work produced, she resorts to paying a man to use his name.
Centuries later in Manhattan, Melina Green discovers she’s related to Emilia. Melina writes a play, By Any Other Name, about her famous ancestor, in the hope that her relative finally gets the recognition she deserves. Melina’s best friend enters this play in a competition under the pseudonym Mel Green to make sure the male judges take it seriously, which results in many surprising consequences.
A thought-provoking read which shows that even though 400 years have passed the playing field is still not level for women in theatre. I particularly enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Elizabethan life, even though rather grim in places.

JODI PICOULT SAYS:
“I think what impressed me the most about Emilia is that she found a way around the bias, around the strictures, around the system. She paid a hefty price for it – credit where credit is due – but I do truly believe she wrote a lot of the phrases that we all can recite from memory today, which have long been attributed instead to Shakespeare.
It made me wonder what I would have done in her situation. If the only way to get my words read was to use someone else’s name, would I do that? Does the art matter more than the artist? I think the answer is probably yes…but also that it’s not a choice any woman should have to make, just to have her voice heard.”

Tonally, ‘By Any Other Name’ seems a return to form for Jodi Picoult in that the style is similar to some of her best, early work. I found the premise very interesting and enlightening. I liked the dual timelines too. The author's note at the end is very illuminating indeed! An engaging foray into historical fiction and an enjoyable read.

I absolutely loved this take on the premise that Shakespeare's plays could have been written by a woman! The woman being Emilia Bassano, an English poet who lived during the 1500's. Thought-provoking and perfectly paced, this dual timeline story shows that as much as we think (and hope) that things have changed, sadly they seem to be the same as ever.

“𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦; 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦.”

An incredibly easy 5 stars. There are many reasons why Jodi is an auto-buy author for me but the main one is that she is simply an incredible storyteller; I never fail to get completely lost in the worlds she creates ♥️ By Any Other Name is so very unique and I adored it. I don’t reach for historical fiction that often but, in this book which pivots between the perspectives of present day Melina Green and Emilia Bassano, who existed in the late 1500s, I was much more drawn to Emilia’s chapters.

I found Emilia’s life absolutely fascinating and unfathomable in equal measure. Some of the things she was forced to endure made me sick to my stomach, yet were things that were commonplace back in those times. The whole question mark over whether William Shakespeare was the playwright for some of the world’s most famous plays is not something I’ve ever looked into much but, after now looking into it myself, I think Jodi shines a light onto that mystery very effectively. I felt such a strong affinity with Emilia, and for her burning desire to be a playwright in a world which, back then, did not allow a woman to follow her heart.

While I might have favoured Emilia’s parts, I was still engrossed by Melina and her similar struggles in trying to get recognised as a playwright. Melina’s best friend and roommate Andre drunkenly submits Melina’s play to a contest under his nickname for her - Mel - and after initially being furious, Melina convinces Andre that he should pretend to be her, in order to see if her play makes it to theatres when it is fronted by a man.

Emilia’s and Melina’s stories were thought-provoking, multi-layered and so very insightful. By Any Other Name is beautifully intricate, passionate and full of important messages about race, gender, inequality, power and the unending fight for women’s voices to be heard.

A stunning work of speculative fiction that asks if one of the most famous and acclaimed playwrights of all time could have been a woman. I’ve heard the theories that Shakespeare may not have been who we think they are, and it’s definitely possible that a woman could’ve been behind the words somewhere but even if you don’t think there’s any legitimacy to the theories, this is such an amazing journey into history and literature.

Following two women, joined by a little thread throughout time we see two storytellers in modern day Manhattan and Elizabethan London, each with such a distinct voice and setting - it was warm, emotional and a delight.

What an extraordinary story!

Melina Green, a struggling playwright, is sent ancestry notes by her father. He’s traced their family tree back to the fifteen hundreds and discovered a relative called Emilia Bassano, a playwright. Emilia’s disadvantage is her sex; she’s female and cannot have her work performed. Her solution is to sell her plays to William Shakespeare.

Melina writes a play “By Any Other Name” but is too terrified to submit the play in a competition. Her roommate and best friend, changes her name to Mel Green and submits the play.

The storyline is fascinating. Emilia is thirteen years old, when she was sold by her cousin to a very wealthy lord, and member of Elisabeth 1st Royal Household. The lord oversees all the plays submitted for approval to be performed for the queen. She starts by helping him read and correct the plays before she takes the huge step to have the plays she secretly writes, published. Her problem is getting them published and performed. Thanks to friends this problem is solved by selling her plays to William Shakespeare, who signs as the author.

While we follow Emilia’s storyline, we also find out more about Melina’s fight in the present day trying to be recognised as a playwright. It doesn’t seem as if much has changed since Elizabethan times!

A glorious book. Filled with wonderful Shakespearean quotes and characters described in such detail as to make you feel as if you are walking alongside them.

Jodi Picoult is always an outstanding author. This novel takes her to the next level - brilliant.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group was given a copy of the book by NetGalley to review.

I love Jodi Picoult and this book really didn't disappoint.

Another wonderful story featuring a strong female lead, Jodi's books are fierce and feminist and this one continued it.

I really enjoy dual timeline books with different narrators so that was another plus. Jodi's writing brings both to life and I could've easily read this as two books,one with each timeline.

I am one of the biggest fans of Jodie there is going, and she certainly did not disappoint with her latest novel..

As always, a thought provoking story line with historical references, made to feel fresh and new.

I love Jodi Picoult's books, and this was no exception. 'By Any Other Name' is a story about a forgotten woman - Emilia Bassano - whom Picoult believes was the true inspiration behind so many of William Shakepeare's plays. Picoult has cleverly woven Bassano's imagined life with that of a contemporary female playwright called Melina, who herself experiences sexism and silencing, mirroring Emilia's struggles four hundred years before. The novel was page-turningly well written, with all the characters, from Emilia and Melina to Kit Marlowe and the Earl of Southampton, brilliantly drawn. I was invested in the story from the very first chapters, and as the novel progressed I began to realise how much of Shakespeare's work (or Bassano's!) still resonates today.

Before I start, there’s content in this one that some readers may want to be aware off. Check out at the end for more information.

I will admit, this one was slow in parts, but as you switch between the two main characters, various elements in their stories pulled me along. I also liked how you get snippets of viewpoints from some of the supporting characters (Jasper was particularly interesting).

The parts that had me hooked, I was desperate to learn more. I loved learning all about the evidence Picoult has collated to show that maybe Shakespeare didn’t write all his plays (when you hear about it, you’re likely to concede that there might be something there). So that was fascinating. Once again Picoult’s dedication to her research, and her amazing ability to bring it all into a story is just mind boggling. Emilia’s story is just heartbreaking (I mean really!). And as I learned of her fate, I was sobbing. She really got under my skin.

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Penguin, and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.

Absolutely kicking myself that it took me this long to read. I loved it so much!
I’ll admit I’ve always been a big Jodi fan, read all of her books etc etc but wow! This is definitely her best work yet. I can’t wait to recommend it to everyone!
Definitely one I’ll re-read in future too.
Thank you x

Jodi Picoult is an auto buy author for me after falling in love with so many of her stories, and in By Any Other Name, she has done it again! Sublime!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this eCopy to review

By Any Other Name is a fascinating blend of historical fiction and contemporary drama.

The story follows Melina Green, a young playwright struggling to make her mark in the competitive world of theater. When she discovers that she’s related to Emilia Bassano, a 16th-century poet and potential true author of Shakespeare’s plays, Melina’s life takes an unexpected turn. Inspired by Emilia’s story, Melina writes a play that she believes will finally get her the recognition she deserves. However, her best friend submits the play under a male pseudonym, and it becomes an instant success.

Picoult masterfully weaves together the lives of Melina and Emilia, showing how their struggles and triumphs mirror each other across centuries. The dual timelines and alternating perspectives add depth to the narrative, making it a rich and engaging read. The historical details are meticulously researched, bringing Elizabethan England to life, while the contemporary storyline is relatable and thought-provoking.

What I loved most about the book was its exploration of themes like gender equality, artistic integrity, and the sacrifices women make to have their voices heard. The characters are well-developed, and their journeys are both inspiring and heartbreaking.

This book was fantastic. A real move away from some of Jodi's past novels. A true novel novel for me - Shakespeare was not the author we thought he was.
A gorgeous story uniting the past and present, both having real merit and substance on their own.
Melina - present day struggling playwright and her ancestor Emilia with a similar story of her own.
I loved the way Emilia was (for me anyway) the star of the show.

Let me start with I love Jodi Picoult’s books, they always have a deep, important message, and feminist fiction is my favourite. Yet this just didn’t resonate with me. It took me ages to get into it, watching the Kindle percentage increase infuriating slowly, and it wasn’t until around 60% that I started whizzing through the book.

Emilia’s sections were much more up my street (can’t wait to start shouting from the rooftops that I think Shakespeare was written by a woman!) whereas Melina’s fell a bit flat for me. It could be that I HATE miscommunication tropes, they make me angry!

It’s not a bad book by any stretch and it’s worth picking up to see if you love it like I thought I was going to.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

What a book! An extraordinary feminist spin on literary history as we know it. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC!

Melina is a playwright living in New York struggling to get her work recognised until a friend submits one of her plays under a pseudo name.  The play in questions is about Emelia, an ancestor of Melina whom some believe was the real writer behind many of Shakespeare’s productions.
 
I’d only ever heard vague mutterings about the suggestion that Shakespeare wasn’t actually responsible for all of his work, but thanks to Picoult’s convincing research it certainly got me thinking.  Learning about Emelia’s life living as a courtesan on the peripheries of the Elizabethan royal court was fascinating and could easily of carried the book on its’s own, although I do appreciate the parallels that were highlighted between Emelia’s and Melina’s struggles to be heard.