Ian Donaldson’s biography of Ben Jonson is the most complete picture of this underrated playwright. Jonson, not Shakespeare, was the most popular and celebrated playwright of his time. It was only much later that Shakespeare’s genius was recognized and Jonson’s works fell into obscurity. Donaldson starts with the bizarre problem of where Jonson’s body was buried (not a simple problem) and then explores Jonson’s complicated history as a writer and artist. If you haven’t ready of Jonson’s plays, reading this biography will motivate you to seek them out. I have three volumes of Jonson’s plays that I hope to read this summer during my recovery. GRADE: A