By Any Other Name
Picoult’s novel is a dual-time interplay between Elizabethan poet, Emilia Bassano, and Melina Green, an aspiring contemporary playwright struggling in an artistic field dominated by men. Melina’s play about Emilia, entitled “By Any Other Name,” spotlights the necessity for Emilia to write anonymously, echoing Melina’s own experience. Unbeknownst to Melina, her roommate, a fellow playwright, submits the play to a fringe festival under a male alias. This ironically proves Melina’s point, as the play is showered with accolades because its subject is the cancellation of female agency as supposedly written, in soul-searing prose, by a man.
The story utilises dozens of literary references, mostly from works attributed to Shakespeare, whose authorship of the detail-rich 37-play compilation we so esteem is a topic that scholars have argued about for centuries. But dwelling on what Shakespeare may not have done is not the objective. Instead, through meticulous and convincing research, Picoult’s narrative documents Emilia’s education, intellect, and life experience, making her the probable author of at least some of the works. The quotes from comedies, tragedies, and sonnets, the witty quips in Melina’s play, Ophelia’s herbal concoctions, and the use of particular names and places in specific plays are but a few intriguing links.
This is an excellent addition to Picoult’s thought-provoking novels of human struggle and conflict, but as beautifully crafted and compelling as the novel is, the last quarter feels drawn out. The contemporary story drifts towards sentimentality after some romantic fallout, and despite the obvious thematic importance, Melina’s contemporary troubles pale in comparison to the monumental hardships of Emilia’s life, muting the overall effect. There are, however, many things to love here, especially for those who have a fondness for the classics and who will revel, as I did, in the long, leisurely sections about Emilia’s eventful life, giving a hitherto unknown writer the recognition she so justly deserves.
