Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews
Written on May 17, 2016
It is a brave author to tackle Shakespeare, let alone execute it well, and I believe Mary Sharratt succeeded in spades.
If I am to be honest, I was never a fan of Shakespeare, I’ve always been on the “not to be” spectrum, although I can never resist a novel that revolves around a woman behind a famous man and therefore decided to give The Dark Lady’s Mask a go.
I am so glad I did. Sharrett’s writing struck me at once, it is elegant, fluid and makes the reader feel as if they are in the room observing the most intimate detail.
Because of this, we received a vivid portrait of Aemilia and despite the well-known figure in front of her Aemilia took center stage and her intelligence shone. I also liked that her story started at childhood and as a reader grew an even greater investment to the character.
The Dark Lady’s Mask didn’t spark a new interest in Shakespeare but nonetheless the novel is an art of poetry and a wonderful ode to Aemilia Bassano Lanier.