Is Shakespeare any Good? reveals why certain literary works and authors are treated as superior to others, and questions the literary establishment's criteria for creating an imperium of "great" writers. * Enables readers to articulate and formulate their own arguments about the quality of literature - including works that convention forbids us to dislike * Dismantles the claims of academic criticism - particularly Theory - to tell us anything useful about why we like or appreciate literature * Challenges and shatters many longstanding beliefs about literature and its evaluation * Poses serious questions about the value of literature, and studying literature, and presents these in a lively and entertainingly provocative manner