▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Shakespeare ' s ▁life , ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁writing ▁of ▁the ▁Son net s . ▁It ▁port ray s ▁his ▁affair ▁with ▁F at im ah , ▁a ▁black ▁prost itute , ▁from ▁whom ▁he ▁contract s ▁sy ph ilis ▁and ▁is ▁driven ▁mad ▁by ▁pain ▁and ▁fe ver . ▁It ▁also ▁includes ▁a ▁plot ▁of ▁Shakespeare ▁becoming ▁c uck old ed ▁by ▁his ▁younger ▁brother ▁Richard , ▁who ▁had ▁stayed ▁in ▁Str at ford , ▁a ▁th esis ▁Burg ess ▁first ▁encountered ▁in ▁literature ▁in ▁the ▁S cy lla ▁and ▁Ch ary b dis ▁episode ▁of ▁James ▁Joy ce ' s ▁U ly ss es . ▁The ▁style ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁ow es ▁something ▁to ▁both ▁Elizabeth an ▁English ▁and ▁Joy cean ▁word play . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Harold ▁Blo om ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁book ▁as ▁" Jo y cean ▁fiction ▁about ▁Shakespeare ", ▁and ▁called ▁it ▁" B urg ess ' s ▁best ▁novel ". ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁Ed itions ▁ ▁Further ▁reading ▁▁▁ ▁Category : 1 9 6 4 ▁British ▁nov els ▁Category : Nov els ▁by ▁Anthony ▁Burg ess ▁Category : Work s ▁about ▁William ▁Shakespeare ▁Category : He in emann ▁( publish er ) ▁books ▁Category : Nov els ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁Category : C ult ural ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁William ▁Shakespeare ▁Category : Nov els ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁Renaissance <0x0A> </s> ▁M ali ar pha ▁is ▁a ▁genus ▁of ▁moth s ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁Py ral idae .