Falstaff Paperback – 1 Oct. 2001

This was a reread for me. I love this book. Nye sets an authentic scene, that is clearly well researched, without losing any of the atmosphere or pace of the story. Ackroyd could learn a lot from him.We adore, loath and pity Falstaff as the tale progresses. The expositions of the other characters, either through diversion into their own stories or information gleaned as they write Falstaff's tale, are beautifully balanced with the main action. The wit is glorious. This is one of very few books that make me laugh out loud.Finally, the character of Falstaff is so exquisitely portrayed. We are left with an understanding that he is a man whose time has passed, a relic. Yet his energy and vibrancy leap from him as if he could be immortal.

What can you say about the Falstaff the man?Obviously this is the fictional autobiography of the comic creation by William Shakespeare.Falstaf if now a fat old man of 81 and is "writing" his memoirs. They are crude, rude, lewd and extremely funny. If you ever wanted to know how to pleasure three french maids at the same time, Falstaff is your man. If you even wanted to know exactly how the Battle of Agincort was won, Falstaff has the answer.Mr Nye takes an already brilliant character and makes him shine in a purely modern way.The book is great fun through out, a solidly sound read!

Very clever. A combination of great scholarship and wit. A bit heavy on Falstaff's sexual adventures but part of his exaggeration of himself.

Brilliant, funny, if you have seen Shakespeare plays that involved Falstaff you will love this book even more

I found this book quite disappointing. In my view, never having read any Shakespeare, it seemed to lurch along, some parts entertaining and others dull and drawn out. It did end rather better than it started, so worth sticking with, although it took me nearly a year to finish it. Readers may find they need some staying power.I much preferred some of Mr Nye's other work, notably Faust and Merlin.

I bought this as a Christmas present for my brother who is notoriously difficult to buy for. He has a great sense of humour so this was perfect for him!

I first read this many years ago and loved it. My daughter has been mining my memory for books that I loved so I bought this for her.

Going back to re-read books I bought in the last century has been an interesting way to fill some of the extra indoor hours of cold, self-isolating winter 2020-21.Looking for Amazon's review button, I was mildly depressed to discover how many "new" books - like, apparently, almost everything by Robert Nye - now only seem to be available second hand. But before you’re tempted to pick up a hard-to-find previously loved copy of Falstaff, I just wanted to say there might be a good reason it’s become scarce.Re-reading it made me want to chuck mine in the bin.Robert Nye’s first three books were recommended by a friend who’s no longer with us, whose taste turned out to be more miss than hit. When the 1980s Penguin spines on my bookshelf caught my eye Merlin and Faust sparked vague, fond memories but Falstaff was a bit of a dead zone. Maybe I should have taken the hint, but instead mild OCD made me flick through the copyright pages and since Falstaff came up as the earliest, that’s where I started.I got just short of halfway.It’s TERRIBLE!It’s dense and literary, as you might expect in a first novel by someone who seems to have primarily thought of themselves as a poet. And it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, if it was offset by anything that felt vaguely like a flair for prose fiction.The opening portrait of the unreliable narrator as a young man has some energy and narrative drive.The non-linear structure spices up proceedings with some graphic fantasy hanky-panky, including the ageing hero and a very young relative indulging in February-December “heavy petting”. Post Yew Tree this seems in inescapably bad taste.Like Tristram Shandy it’s a mock-autobiography that reveals next to nothing about the hero because there’s another agenda. In this case that mainly seems to be boring the socks off the reader with the author’s party trick of remembering Shakespeare quotes. Because, you know, Falstaff is a character from Shakespeare. So it’s funny. Right? Ummm ... No.By halfway the novelty’s worn off, all the forward momentum has been sucked out, and it’s just irritating.One to avoid.