I'm a huge fan - have been since Book One - apart from anything the man has a great surname; I thoroughly enjoyed The Institute, my last winter read. Not only gripping (impossible ever to put it down) but symbolic of a lot more than the story. Pleased to see him cut back a bit on his inclusion of brand names (he cannot resist and the details of such elements as a MacDonalds drink get slightly irritating); he is such a great writer; an American Dickens for today. This will be a HUGE hit film in 2023.

I am also a fan and think he is under rated in literary terms. Yes like Dickens great stories and characters, but lacks Dicken's humour completely. Dickens had another layer entirely of writing some of the great comic characters....

Oh yes wyot - I adore King and Le Carre and some others (Gerald Seymour) but both Dickens and Shakespeare are geniuses. Funnily enough I think you've hit nail on head - both Will and Charlie have that rich, subtle vein of humour running through everything, even the tragedies (King Lear is my favourite play; the Fool provides real humour).

Most think nowadays that Shakespeare was really a theatre manager and actor - as the few references to him, by contemporaries, relate.

There's no mention of his works by these fellow thespians (mainly) - nor in Shakespeare's will, which was poorly constructed by him.

Notes, comments, drafts of his are non-existent - and his name is spelt differently in every signature available. But the paper trail is minuscule - unlike most high output authors.

Research would have been critical for the historical works, for instance - but there are no records for it; but plenty for his property investment activities, and theatre management/productions.

All of Shakespeare's family were illiterate - and there is no evidence that William was really literate at all. Or for any education whatsoever.