I've never read a book like this before: it's challenging, irreverent and funny.

Roddy Doyle

Convincing, incisive and stimulating.

Independent on Sunday

A brilliant and extremely readable distillation of some of the current thinking about Shakespeare's tragedies.

Irish Times

A lively and intelligent work of criticism...Shakespeare is hard, and O'Toole has valiantly refused to simplify him.

Michael Caines, TLS

A useful corrective to the philistine notion that Shakespeare must be simplified and domesticated so that people can understand him.

Steven Poole, Guardian

You'll look at Shakespeare with new eyes after reading this book.

Sunday Herald