Pg. 69: David Blixt's "The Master of Verona"

The current feature at the Page 69 Test: David Blixt's The Master of Verona, a novel which combines Shakespeare’s Italian characters with the real people of Dante’s time.

Among the praise for the novel:

"The precipitous ending, marked with dizzying revelations by the protagonists, does nothing to mar a novel of intricate plot, taut narrative, sharp period detail and beautifully realized characters.”
--Publishers Weekly

“A confession: it has been a long time since this reviewer stayed up until dawn to finish a novel, but it happened with The Master of Verona.... Be prepared to burn the midnight oil. It’s well worth it.”
--Lucille Cormier, Historical Novel Society

"Intricate plotting, well-staged scenes, and colorful descriptions enhance head-spinning but lively entertainment.”
--Kirkus

"...a highly engaging and exceptional story."
--Armchair Interviews

Read an excerpt from The Master of Verona and learn more about the book at the official website.

David Blixt is a Shakespearean actor living in Chicago. He has made several turns at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, CityLit, Northlight, and the First Folio Shakespeare Festival, as well as Lifeline, Griffin, the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, and the Stratford Festival Friends in Chicago. He and his wife Jan are co-founders of A Crew of Patches, a Shakespearean repertory company in which he acts, directs, and choreographs the violence. The Master of Verona is his first novel.

The Page 69 Test: The Master of Verona.

--Marshal Zeringue