"Was ever book containing such vile matter so fairly bound?"

That's from "Romeo and Juliet," the author of which is one of the main characters in "My Name is Will." Some would say Jess Winfield's novel is definitely full of vile matter -- sex, drugs, a little bit of torture. Yet all that is fairly bound in a fast-paced tale that mixes humor, history and suspense.

It's a coming-of-age tale of two men with similar struggles in different times: a young William Shakespeare who is a wit, womanizer and closet Catholic suddenly pressed into marriage; and Willie Shakespeare Greenberg, a wit, womanizer and college student trying to write his master's thesis and complete a drug deal.

Winfield jumps almost seamlessly from one Will's story to the other, cleverly weaving in quotes from Shakespeare's works and Willie's paper as both characters rebel against the status quo, evade persecution and try to find some direction in life.

Willie is likeable, but Shakespeare is the real winning character. He's naive, charming, sensitive and noble. This easily is what Shakespeare was like as a youth, the man who created bawdy Mercutio, mischievous Puck and thoughtful Hamlet. Winfield nails Shakespeare's banter perfectly, and the wordplay is worthy of any Shakespearean comedy. Shakespeare's experiences include stuff we presume became fodder for his plays, such as Hamlet's mad lines and shrewish Kate -- delightful touches that the Bard's fans will appreciate.

The book has enough layers that it's worth picking up again to appreciate how well everything works together -- the narrative, the allusions, the literary excerpts, the history (which Winfield bends only slightly). Winfield is no Shakespeare, but he's a skillful writer who tells a good story and, when it's all over, parting is such sweet sorrow.