What a gift Dame Judi Dench is to the world, honestly. Her dry sense of humor, astounding memory and talent-together make such a great autobiography that reads easily and entertains thouroughly.

*thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my review*

Judi Dench is brilliant and witty in this book as she reflects on her time with Shakespeare. As a literature and theater nerd, I was absolutely delighted with every part of this book. Thanks to Brendan O’Shea, who is clearly a very good friend to Dench, this masterpiece partly discussion of Dench’s history with different acting companies and partly discussion of Shakespeare’s texts. All of it was marvelous. Written in interview style, you can just feel her love for long acting career in her answers to each question. And you can tell that Shakespeare has been a large and formative part of her life.

I think there’s such a temptation to interpret Shakespeare’s work through a modern lens, and Dench provides a beautiful example of restraint in this particular area. While she always found the purpose for her actions in her roles, she was always careful not to insinuate something that wasn’t in the text. She determined to let the text speak for itself. And she really handles the text in a way that makes you feel the magic of Shakespeare’s work, and I find that to be really inspiring.

In Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, Judi Dench invites readers into a deeply personal and enriching exploration of the Bard’s work, offering not only insights into his life but also the profound impact his plays have had on her own career. The book is a transcript of interviews Dench gave, where she shares her anecdotes, reflections, and her unmistakable reverence for Shakespeare’s genius.

Through these conversations, Dench reveals the passion and commitment she brings to her work, illustrating how the language of Shakespeare is both timeless and transformative. Her deep love and understanding of language shine throughout, as she discusses the nuances of his plays and characters with an infectious enthusiasm. The book is an intimate portrait of Dench’s own relationship with Shakespeare, shaped by years of experience performing his works on stage and screen.

Thanks, St. Martin’s Press, for the arc!

Judi Dench is a national treasure. I would love to go on vacation with her and spend the time having tea and listening to her stories. This book was such a joy to read because it felt like that, especially if you love Shakespeare as much as Dame Dench does. Also, if you love older women who don’t give a flying fuck and are just themselves.

The book actually had to be edited because she cursed so much, which is funny and sad because I would like an unedited version, but don’t worry, there is still a lot of cursing in it.

I think this book can make you appreciate Shakespeare if you don’t or fall more in love with it if you do. It’s a must-read.

This phenomenal book is organized as chapters about the Shakespeare roles played by Judi Dench in her long acting career. The audio book, read by Barbara Flynn, Brendan O'Hea, and Dench herself, feels like listening to a long conversation between two old friends. O'Hea and Dench, the authors, know each other well, and know the works of Shakespeare even more deeply. I finished the book wanting to see every play he ever wrote, through the lens of Dench's reflections on the settings, the characters, and the staging of her performances.

I can't recommend this book more highly. 5 brilliant stars!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a very hard read. While I am a huge fan of Dame Judy Dench, Shakespeare, and theatre, I found some of the stores difficult to follow due to the intricacies. Perhaps it was because I'm American, or maybe just not well versed enough in Shakespeare, but it lacked the storyline to easily follow through.

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent is as much Dame Judi Dench's memoir as it analyzes the Shakespeare roles she has reprised throughout her career. It details the superstitions related to these roles, the work and ardor involved in reprising them and how they have defined her life. It was interesting and entertaining.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench!

This was the most delightful and wondrous take on a memoir. Reading Judi’s life through Shakespeare was so powerful and real. The tone of the book was so gentle and conversational that it felt like I was sitting f with the author and Dame Dench for each moment.

4.5, rounded up. Judi Dench and Brendan O'Hea's close readings of Shakespeare (peppered with Dame Dench's dry, sharp wit) remind me of the best parts of my English graduate program. What a beautiful love letter to "the man who pays the rent".

Thank you for the ARC! I love memoirs and while I enjoy a memory that follows a linear time line, this was a refreshing look at a career told through one of her favorite disciplines. Highly recommend this book - thank you, again!

This was such a delightful book! I have never been that curious about Shakespeare’s plays, but hearing Judi Dench talk about her experience playing different characters was a treat.

Loved the banter between Judi and Brendan, it was very entertaining.

If you are a fan of Shakespeare, Judi Dench or if you are just curious about his work (like I was), read this!

This book could be twice as long and I would still happily be listening to it. What an absolute joy to hear these amazing stories from a woman who appreciates Shakespeare even more than I do. Her photographic memory for his brilliant lines and her analysis of his meaning are awe inspiring. Likewise I learned about her wicked sense of humor and her ability to relate to each character she’s played as if they are old friends. It has been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a memoir so much.

If you are a fan of Judy Dench and Shakespeare too. This book will just make you happy!
Ms. Dench has a phenomenal memory of what she wore, the role she played, and the words spoken at all of her Shakespeare performances. She remembers when and where the play took place.
Great stories about the actors and how it was to be part of the troupe
She is smart, graceful and completely honest about what she thought of her performance. She also gives a good bit of dialogue on the characters she played and how she thought of them.
Wonderful book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC.

Loved this. I really enjoyed everything about this. I loved the story completely. Very interesting and informative. It will stay with me for a long time. I appreciate that the author has very strong voice - one I really enjoy. She’s a legend!

I enjoy Shakespeare but I am not a learned aficionado. But I am a huge Dame Judi Dench fan, so I dive into this with anticipation.

It was worth it. Not only do you get to hear Dench’s thoughts on ever Shakespearean role she has ever performed (with lots of being the scenes stories of a life as an actor), but I came out with a deeper understanding of the plays themselves and the characters in them, even the ones she didn’t like.

Dench is funny, perceptive, intelligent and the kind of has-no-filter person you want to sit around with and talk to for hours. Or, more likely, just listen.

The wealth of Shakespeare knowledge held by Judi Dench is extraordinary. She falls into quoting the text and breaks down the characters' relations so naturally which allows the reader to understand the plays with an ease that only comes from living the works as Dench has done. Not only that but she can recount specific memories from her time working on each of the plays which are just glimmers of her prolific career. It is a gift to be able to read about even a small amount of her career.

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this deep dive into Dame Judi Dench's decorated career as an actor in countless productions of Shakespeare's catalog. I ended up reading this after it was published, so I alternated between the ARC file on my Kindle and the audiobook from the library. I loved that the audiobook contained sound bites of Dame Judi Dench performing lines from her favorite performances, that was such an interesting and special addition to the audio.

I will suggest this to any of my fellow Shakespeare-loving friends and anyone who enjoys theatre history!

The mention of Shakespeare, for some, can elicit fear or cause painful memories from school to resurface. The import of Shakespeare looms large in English letters and explorations into his extensive work can feel daunting. Thankfully, Judi Dench with the help of Brendan O'Hea guide readers through this vast body of work with care and insight and humor. Dench offers up an engaging and intimate journey all while giving centuries old works new meaning.

I'm a big fan of Judi Dench's but not very knowledgeable on Shakespeare. Therefore, for me, the book started out a little slow (I had a lot of learning to do), but as it progressed it got better and better. By a quarter of the way into the book, I was hooked! It's written in the form of interviews by Brendan O'hea and Judi's responses. There were times when I laughed out loud and certainly many times when I learned more about Shakespeare's plays and Judi as an actress.