In January, I reviewed Jennifer Lee Carrell’s Interred with Their Bones, a novel about a Harvard grad who seeks to discover a lost volume of Shakespearean work. And today, USA Today posted a story about … a Nottingham professor who has decided that the lost volume of Shakespearean work in question actually exists … or did at one time.
Here’s the gist – Double Falsehood was a play written in the 1700s by Lewis Theobald, who said he based his work substantially on a play by the Bard called Cardenio. But Theobald seemed to have the only copy of Cardenio around, which made his story seem fishy, and many hailed him as a fraud.
So why didn’t Theobald just publish the manuscript and hush everyone up? Excellent question – to which we may never know the answer. But scholars are apparently in the process of clearing his name by claiming that Cardenio did exist.
Jennifer Lee Carrell – if you are listening – I would publish this article on your website, assuring everyone that you knew before they did. I would follow that statement with a hearty, “Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.”
Hi there,
Here I am, answering. As you’ve gathered, Theobald’s “Double Falsehood” plays a major role in my novel. Most Shakespearean scholars regard Theobald’s claim to have possessed an original Cardenio, written at least in part by Shakespeare, as probably true. Don’t know why this suggestion keeps semi-breaking as “new”–it isn’t. But only real Shakespeare aficionados have been aware of it: and not even some of them.
I had fun with its obscurity in my novel: but even I can’t claim to be “first” with this news!
Thanks for noticing!
And you might be interested to know, as well, that I have a new Shakespearean thriller–the further adventures of Kate Stanley–coming out in the States in 2 weeks: HAUNT ME STILL. Stop by my web site to learn more: http://www.jenniferleecarrell.com
Cheers!
Jennifer Lee Carrell!
I am completely star-struck.
Thank you for noticing my little blog.
-Kim
Holy…..Jennifer Lee Carrell! I know you had told me about this, but actually seeing it is way better! I’m going to the book store this week to pick up the other books….So cool that she commented on your post