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kiwichill's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
kelly_e's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Author: Jodi Picoult
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: August 20, 2024
I received a complimentary eARC from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Fascinating • Provocative • Dense
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—are both forced to hide behind another name to make their voices heard.
In 1581, Emilia Bassano—like most young women of her day—is allowed no voice of her own. But as the Lord Chamberlain’s mistress, she has access to all theater in England, and finds a way to bring her work to the stage secretly. And yet, creating some of the world’s greatest dramatic masterpieces comes at great cost: by paying a man for the use of his name, she will write her own out of history.
In the present, playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. Although the challenges are different four hundred years later, the playing field is still not level for women in theater. Would Melina—like Emilia—be willing to forfeit her credit as author, just for a chance to see her work performed?
💭 T H O U G H T S
Anytime Jodi Picoult announces a new book, I am going to be interested simply because she is such a skilled writer and never shies away from writing about polarizing topics. Reading the synopsis for By Any Other Name I wasn't sure how her 2024 release would land for me personally. I have very little interest in Shakespeare and minimal knowledge about the theatre world. Despite those factors I knew I still wanted to read it, especially given her foray into historical fiction.
First off, this novel is incredibly well researched and skillfully written. Told through the voices of two women centuries apart, this novel tackles the historical and contemporary challenges faced by women and their plight to receive the recognition they deserve. Picoult creates two vivid timelines, two separate settings, and two distinct casts of characters, while challenging Shakespeare's authorship and offering up an alternative theory.
While I appreciated the rich historical detail and thought the dual timelines element worked well in the beginning, the contemporary storyline eventually took me out of the story. Some of Melina's actions and choices felt entirely inconsistent with what Picoult is trying to do with this narrative. I understand this timelines is needed to showcase how women continue to have to work harder to be recognized, yet it could have taken a different route and easily achieved the same goal.
By Any Other Name is unlike any other of Picoult's previous novels. Personally, I was less engaged and it took me over a month to get through, yet overall I enjoyed what this story attempts to do. I have a feeling opinions will be very split with this one, especially for anyone who goes in hoping for something similar to her previous contemporary novels. The extensive author's note at the end if a must read to offer more context and her thought process in crafting this story.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Shakespeare
• the Elizabethan era
• stories about resilient women
⚠️ CW: misogyny, sexism, gaslighting, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, physical abuse, rape, sexual assault, sexual violence, infidelity, adult/minor relationship, epidemic/pandemic, pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, death, death of child, death of parent, grief, sexual content, classism, antisemitism, alcohol, alcoholism, toxic relationship
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Life as a woman is not without risks."
"There once was a girl who became invisible so that her words might not be."
"History is written by those in power."
"Grief was the tax of having something precious."
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
amachonis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Ableism, Confinement, Cursing, and Vomit
kreglow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
adreaminaqua's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Antisemitism
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
That said, By Any Other Name left me feeling conflicted. Melina’s story? Underwhelming. The romance was predictable and didn’t add much, and Jasper’s big “reveal” wouldn’t surprise any modern reader. Honestly, Melina--knowing what she did about Jasper--should have given him more of a chance to explain. Overall, her chapters felt repetitive and dragged the pace down for me.
On the other hand, Emilia Bassano’s story was riveting. I could have easily read an entire book just about her. It was heartbreaking to see how powerless she was at every stage of her life—whether as a courtesan, a wife, or a widow. Her struggles feel all too timely, especially in a post-Roe world. Picoult doesn’t shy away from those brutal, violent scenes with Bassano’s husband, and it’s a stark reminder of how little control women had (and sometimes still have) over their own lives.
It’s tough for me to rate this one. Bassano’s chapters were compelling, but those final scenes felt maudlin and unnecessary. Melina’s chapters? Barely two stars. But because Bassano’s story deserves to be told, I’m reluctantly giving this 4 stars. Picoult’s exploration of Bassano as the potential author of some of Shakespeare’s works is fascinating and commendable, but I wish the modern-day storyline had packed the same punch.
4 reluctant stars from me.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Antisemitism
somberlittleman's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
theoceanrose's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Death, Miscarriage, Violence, and Pregnancy
davschi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
devlaluna2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
let me begin my thanking netgalley for the arc of this book! so grateful
this is my first jodi picoult book, and went into by any other name with the knowledge that I am by no means a historical fiction girlie! i have a few historical fiction books I've read and enjoyed, but it is simply not a genre I tend to gravitate towards and read regularly. I have found, however, that multigenerational novels that explore a historical timeline as they intertwine with a modern timeline are my desired format for consuming the genre, which this book has!
if you are a fellow lover of shakespeare's works, the debate surrounding shakespeare's authorship, playwriting and publishing industry politics, 1500s feminism, representation and diversity in the current theatre scene, or even christopher marlowe.... this is absolutely for you.
fully fleshed characters, beautiful and magnetic prose, complicated interpersonal relationships, and an outspoken main character that is witty and sharp, and above all, deeply passionate
jodi's writing is so immersive and warm, even when discussing intense hardships and polarizing topics. overall, such a spectacular ode to what it is to be seen, known, heard, and remembered.
fantastic! I have a new go to recommendation to give when asked about a genre i don't frequent
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism