Customer Reviews

The Bard on the Brain: Understanding the Mind Through the Art of Shakespeare and the Science of Brain Imaging

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I must recommend this thought-provoking book to anyone with an interest in either of the two fields that Paul M. Matthews expertly interweaves.

I teach English and so was familiar with many of the passages of Shakespeare that are analysed but I had never myself given a moment's thought to any of the play's links to science. At first I was sceptical of the credence of these links to the brain but by the time I had read the first few chapters I was genuinely intrigued by the way Shakespeare does seem to have known about the brain.

One criticism that may be leveled is that it may not go into real depth in either of the fields the book covers, and for this reason it might not appeal to a true expert in Neurology or Shakesperean literature. However I for one found it not just an entertaining read but an intellectually stimulating one as well.

I was really intrigued by this book -- how often do scientists and literary scholars collaborate? This is not an academic book in the purest sense--but what's wonderful about it is that is written by two academics who are not afraid to show their love of Shakespeare and who want their work and interests to be accessible to a broad audience. The result is a fun and refreshing look at art and science, which I really enjoyed. The gorgeous illustrations are enticing, as is the often illuminating and always thought provoking commentary by the two authors. Since I am not a scientist, I was particularly taken by the brain imaging and commentary by Dr. Matthews. As a drama lover, I also enjoyed the many photos from performances of the Bard's plays.

This is a book with a most appealing title (at least for me): The Bard on the Brain. I've taught Shakespeare for many years, and I'm interested in what neuroscience has to say about literature.

The book was published by the Dana Foundation which does all kinds of good things in connection with the brain, nervous system, and the diseases thereof. Ordinarily their publications are very good.

What could Shakespeare say about the brain? As any Shakespearean could tell you, not much. The book consists of quotations from Shakespeare about various aspects of the mind (e.g., Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking, Falstaff on alcohol, Jaques on aging). The book then follows up with some statements about current knowledge of this or that aspect of brain function.

I have to say that I did not expect much from this approach and I got what I expected. The quotations from Shakespeare are fine, and the commentary on them inoffensive. The statements of brain function seemed tailored to someone who barely knows that there is such a thing as a brain, extremely elementary. This is really a coffee-table book.

The best thing in the book are the gorgeous full-page photographs of recent performances of Shakespeare, the basis for its coffee-table status. Unfortunately, the editors chose to reduce the brain images in size and to pretty them up with confusing backgrounds. It is very hard to see what the commentary is referring to. The scientific footnotes are lumped together in the back in a way that makes it hard to follow out any particular point.

A disappointment. And this is intended as a word to the wise.