Ghostwriter: Shakespeare, Literary Landmines, and an Eccentric Patron's Royal Obsession

Part literary mystery, part an examination of what constitutes fiction versus reality, Ghostwriter is based on the...
$63.43 AUD
$63.43 AUD
SKU: 9781496852434
Product Type: Books
Please hurry! Only 717 left in stock
Author: Lawrence Wells
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $63.43
10 customers are viewing this product
Ghostwriter: Shakespeare, Literary Landmines, and an Eccentric Patron's Royal Obsession by Wells, Lawrence

Ghostwriter: Shakespeare, Literary Landmines, and an Eccentric Patron's Royal Obsession

$63.43

Ghostwriter: Shakespeare, Literary Landmines, and an Eccentric Patron's Royal Obsession

$63.43
Author: Lawrence Wells
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Part literary mystery, part an examination of what constitutes fiction versus reality, Ghostwriter is based on the true story of author Lawrence Wells, then 45, hired by the University of Mississippi in 1987 to ghostwrite a novel for a wealthy, eccentric donor ("Mrs. F," then 75), who was convinced that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was William Shakespeare. Believing herself to be the reincarnation of Queen Elizabeth I, Mrs. F treated ghostwriter Wells as a "captive" Edward de Vere.

Their roller-coaster literary collaboration dramatized Elizabeth and de Vere's romance, which according to legend produced a son (Henry Wriothesley) born in secret. Henry grew up to become the 3rd Earl of Southampton, who is universally acknowledged as "The Fair Youth" of Shakespeare's sonnets and whose real-life descendants include Princess Diana and her sons, Prince Harry and William, Prince of Wales.

Wells and his late wife, Dean Faulkner Wells, niece of William Faulkner, traveled to England to research the life of Edward de Vere and interview proponents of the Shakespeare authorship debate. That summer, London tabloids headlined the royal breakup of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, incidentally echoing Wells and Mrs. F's tempestuous love story about Edward de Vere and Queen Elizabeth I.

Flashbacks weave several elements together--the seventeenth-century mystery of Queen Elizabeth's "royal bastard," Wells's evolving relationship with his eccentric patron, his search for the "real" Shakespeare, and the bawdy Elizabethan narrative he composed for his benefactor. The stories merge, leading to a surprising conclusion.

Author: Lawrence Wells
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Published: 07/10/2024
Pages: 216
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.87lbs
Size: 8.70h x 5.87w x 0.87d
ISBN: 9781496852434


Review Citation(s):
Foreword 06/10/2024

About the Author
Lawrence Wells's "Ghostwriter" manuscript was awarded the 2014 Faulkner-Wisdom Prize for narrative nonfiction at the Words and Music Festival in New Orleans. His memoir In Faulkner's Shadow, about his thirty-eight-year marriage to Dean Faulkner Wells, was published by University Press of Mississippi in 2020. Wells is also the author of two historical novels, Rommel and the Rebel and Let the Band Play Dixie.

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Related Products

Recently Viewed Products