Shakespeare Books

What else could you expect!

There isn't much to say...its exactly what you should expect when ordering Shakespeare...seriously.

4 of his best i strongly recomend this group of storys.

Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth are Shakespeare's greatest works. These fantastic stories, coupled with strong footnotes, make for superb reading material. I would recommend this book to beginning and master Shakespeare readers.

Having a love of literature, and being an English Lit. major has given me the oportunity to read most of Shakespeare's works. Shakespeare's talent and genius has surely endured and his beautiful writings are essential to mankind not only in the classroom but throughout our lives. His tragedies speak the loudest to me, as they are charged with drama, emotion and memorable quotations. Having to choose a favorite book of all time I would say, "Othello." Yet Hamlet is my second favorite drama of Shakespeare's, and Macbeth also holds strong. I do not care for King Lear but having Shakespeare's 4 greatest and most popular tragedies in one book is a collection worth having.

Rather predictably, the first play offered here is "A Doll's House", the most famous of Ibsen's works. Strangely enough, this ended up NOT being my favorite of the four plays provided in this small collection, but I'll get to that in a moment. Next we have "Ghosts", "Hedda Gabler", and finally "The Master Builder".

"A Doll's House", 86 pages long, is also provided here with the alternate German ending. The ending was deemed so scandalous that Ibsen was forced to write up another ending, in which things go slightly differently. "A Doll's House", a play about a woman who rather does the unthinkable (in that time, at least) to help her husband and then once again to herself, is remarkably interesting. Ibsen plays are generally extremely fun to analyze, simply because there's always something there. Nobody would read dull plays, after all. The alternate ending provided is actually the most interesting part of all. It shows us what the impact of this play was on society at the time that it came out. Perhaps we find these things somewhat more "normal" (though they're actually not, and are still considered rather scandalous) and acceptable, so this ending really reminds us of WHY this play was so impressive and WHY Ibsen was such a strange character for his time. An intriguing play, though not my favorite.

No, that falls to "Ghosts". A play that once again touches on difficult subjects that are most intriguing, "Ghosts" chilled me from beginning to end. It was a more interesting play, overall, because it seemed to me more human. That's not to say that "A Doll's House" wasn't human (it definitely is), but there was something about "Ghosts" that touched me more than the other plays. At 73-pages and with fewer characters, "Ghosts" is an easier play to really read, and certainly an enjoyable one.

"Hedda Gabler" changes things a bit. The plot suddenly becomes a bit more interesting with a touch more mystery and intrigue. There are moments that positively creeped me out ("I'm burning your child") and moments where I just shivered. The ending is a bit more intense than in the previous plays, though less surprising. The play felt very different from "Ghosts" or "A Doll's House", though it was still clearly an Ibsen "morbid but interesting" play.

For me, "The Master Builder" is the odd play out. It's the one that, a. Bored me the most, b. Seemed to take the longest (though only barely longer than "A Doll's House, at 88 pages, and shorter than the 97-paged long "Hedda Gabler"), and c. Seemed the least realistic. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the ending wouldn't seem to work on stage. I felt like at some point Ibsen kind of forgot that he was writing a play and mentioned things that wouldn't really work (unless they have a complex blue screen, but those didn't exist in his time...). There are ways around it, certainly, and it's a minor flaw, but I found that "The Master Building" just didn't have that spark that the other plays seemed to have. No, it's not a BAD play, but it's not my favorite among these either.

While there are many options out there for buying Ibsen plays, this one is certainly a good buy. While the Signet edition also gives us four plays for a few dollars cheaper, instead of the incredible "Ghosts", we get the reasonable "The Wild Duck". For those few dollars, I'd opt for "Ghosts". Also, the book type itself is better in this edition as opposed to the Signet Classics one.

Highly recommended to anyone interesting in a good play to analyze and enjoy. Enjoy!

it was an older book, but it was in good shape. good plays too.

James McFarlane's and Jens Arup's translations of Ibsen have long been classics and are arguably the best. Although they were published in England almost forty years ago, they still sound remarkably fresh and will be in print for many years to come.

In "A Doll's House" (1879), Ibsen casts us into the world of Nora Helmer, a young Norwegian housewife and Nordic Madame Bovary. Highlighting the restricted position of women in male-dominated society, the play sparked such an uproar in Scandinavia when it appeared that "many a social invitation during that winter bore the words: 'You are requested not to mention Ibsen's Doll's House!'" In fact, Hedwig Niemann-Raabe, the actress who was to play Nora on tour in Germany, was so appalled at the ending of this play -- at this female "monster" -- that she demanded Ibsen write an alternative one in German, which he did (a "barbaric outrage", in his words). McFarlane has appended this German-language ending (and a translation in English).

Based on the theme, "The sins of the fathers shall be visited on the children," "Ghosts" (1881) is one of Ibsen's most riveting plays. Like "A Doll's House", it, too, was denounced on its début ("crapulous stuff", "an open drain", one London reviewer called it -- certainly a Victorian exaggeration). As in most of his plays, Ibsen probes the hypocrisies of patriarchal society, which he deems to be rotten at its core, and stultifying provincial life ("Doesn't the sun ever shine here?"). Typically, he also casts women in a favorable light.

"A Doll's House" and "Ghosts" established Ibsen's reputation as one of the finest playwrights in Europe, but his next two plays -- "Hedda Gabler" (1890) and "The Master Builder" (1892) -- gave him undisputed international fame. As McFarlane points out, the 1890s "were the years when the publication of a new Ibsen play sent profound cultural reverberations throughout Europe and the world." "Hedda Gabler" marks Ibsen's shift away from highly controversial dramas primarily concerned with social and sexual injustice to "domestic" plays that addressed the struggle of individuals to control each other, people who "want to control the world, but cannot control [themselves]." "Hedda Gabler" is a thoroughly electrifying drama about a married woman's devouring sense of decay and confinement. "The Master Builder", which Ibsen coupled with "Hedda Gabler", is his riveting look into sexual potency and the domination of youth by age.

These plays are not as dark and dirty as they might seem. Whatever reviewers may have said about them when they came out and whatever gloomy stuff psychiatrists have written about them since, if you're at all familiar with prime-time television, they won't offend you -- in fact, you probably wont even lift an eyebrow. Still, I found myself glued to them for hours and I've read them before. Find a copy for your shelf!

Actually, I've only read two of these plays before but I did
want to list the names of the four included in this volume:

A Doll's House;
Ghosts;
Hedda Gabler;
The Master Builder.

Masterful social drama (to sound like a back-of-the-book blurb).
Seriously though, Ibsen's plays are wonderful.

Centuries of audience recognize the brilliance of Shakespeare's Hamlet. This review treats the editing, printing, binding, appendices, et cetera - work done by Folger Shakespeare Library. Overall, a great product.

*** PRINTING & BINDING ***
This new 8.5 x 5.5-inch format is fantastic! Print is much sharper and bigger. Margins are much bigger - excellent paper quality. Binding/cover has a nice slight plastic laminate - more durable. Copyright 1992. (total weight: 18 ounces)
From 15 years, we still have a copy of the old 6.75 x 4-inch format - page for page identical content (same Copyright), but very cramped and hard to read - small fuzzy print - cheap coarse paper - tiny cramped margins - distracting.
The new 8.5 x 5.5-inch format is a tremendous pleasure.

*** APPENDICES ***
The essay by Michael Neill is also brilliant - "Hamlet: A Modern Perspective"

***** EDITING *****
Almost all of the editor's explanatory notes (on facing page) are helpful in finding the original meaning. However, in some cases they've missed it. These occasional blunders may betray a tinge of naive, academic reluctance to plunge in and fathom the depths of Hamlet's profound sadness, sarcasm and gloom.
exempli gratia :

Act 5, Scene 2, line 237-38
-- "Since no man of aught he leaves knows, what is 't to leave betimes?"
Hamlet's meaning: Since no one knows when they will die, what is it to die early?

The editors have an embarrassing note:
"237-38. 'of aught he leaves knows' : knows anything about what he leaves behind"

Act 3.2.38
-- "I hope we have reformed that indifferently with us, sir."
Meaning: ... reformed our performance segments which were only average or mediocre ...

The editors misfire:
"38. 'indifferently' : pretty well"

Note: The word "indifferent" appears again in three more scenes. In all cases the meaning is: ordinary, unexceptional, somewhat, uninspired, tolerable, undistinguished, passable, average, mediocre, so-so ...
[see Act 2.2.245 / Act 3.1.132 / Act 5.2.110]

I recommend Folger's editions for Shakespeare for people like me who love to read Shakespeare, but need a little help. The left page notations on the text are helpful and well-placed for easy reading.

William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is arguably the most famous play ever written in the English language; it presents the world with questions and characters that have been the subject of thespian and scholarly debate ever since the Prince of Denmark's first appearance on the stage of London's Globe Theatre. Probably written and first performed in 1601 (estimates vary between 1600 and 1602), the play draws on Saxo Grammaticus's late 12th/early 13th century chronicle "Gesta Danorum," which includes a popular legend with a similar plot centering around a prince named Amleth; as well as several more contemporaneous sources, primarily Francois de Belleforest's "Histoires Tragiques, Extraicts des Oeuvres Italiennes de Bandel" (1559-1580), which expands on the story told in the "Gesta Danorum," and a lost play known as the "Ur-Hamlet" (i.e., original "Hamlet"), sometimes also attributed to Shakespeare, but equally likely written by a different author a few decades earlier. Another work frequently cited in this context is 16th century playwright Thomas Kyd's "Spanish Tragedie."

Pursuant to Shakespeare's wishes and like all of his works, "Hamlet" was not immediately published, and the original manuscript did not survive. However, in the absence of copyright laws or other forms of protection of what today would be called the playwright's intellectual property rights, first bootleg copies (so-called quartos) based on transcripts made during or after performances began to appear in 1603. Yet, it would not be until 1623 - seven years after Shakespeare's 1616 death - that his former fellow actors John Hemmings and Henry Condell published 36 of his plays (including this one) in a collection known as the First Folio.

As no print version of any of Shakespeare's plays has a bona fide claim to its author's first-hand blessings, ever since the Bard's death the world is left with numerous questions about his characters' motivations and psychological makeup; first and foremost, in this particular case: who is this Prince of Denmark anyway, and what's driving him - is he a reluctant suicide or reluctant avenger? A Renaissance man? Wrecked by Freudian guilt? Genuinely mad, or merely putting on a clever act of deception? Or is he someone else entirely? - Indeed, we're even left in doubt as to what exactly it was that Shakespeare meant his characters to say, with all attendant interpretative consequences: Does the Prince wish for his "too too sullied" or his "too too solid" flesh to "melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew" in his first major soliloquy (Act I, Scene 2)? Does he really contemplate "the stamp of [that] one defect" which may fatally taint the perception of a man's other virtues, "be they as pure as grace," before meeting his father's ghost (I, 4)? Does Polonius, when sending Reynaldo on a spying mission after Laertes, refer to his scheme as "a fetch of wit" or "a fetch of warrant" (II, 1)? Do Hamlet's musings in "To be, or not to be" (III, 1) concern "enterprises of great pith and moment" or "of great pitch and moment," whose "currents turn awry and lose the name of action" by his doubts? Does or doesn't the sight of the Norwegian army while Hamlet is on his way to England (IV, 4) prompt him, who has so far failed to carry out his purpose, to reflect "How all occasions do inform against me," and conclude his soliloquy with the vow "from this time forth my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth"?

How you answer any of these questions, and how you consequently view the play's characters, depends in no small part on the text you read. Like all Folger Shakespeare editions, this one is based on what the editors have deemed the "best early printed version," while allowing the reader a unique direct comparison of the principal reliable versions by including a text essentially combining these versions, with unobtrusive markers characterizing those passages appearing only in one particular version. For "Hamlet," the editors eschewed the play's very first (1603) quarto, which was possibly compiled by a journeyman actor and whose inconsistencies with all subsequent versions (textually as well as plot-wise and even regarding character names) have caused it to be generally considered a "bad" quarto, in favor of the 1604 Second Quarto, which some even believe to be based on Shakespeare's own first draft of the play and which, in any event, while more extensive than the 1623 First Folio (in turn, thought to be closest to the version(s) actually produced on the Globe Theatre stage), boasts about as secure a claim of authenticity as the latter. In some instances, the text follows the Second Quarto (Q2) without visually alerting the reader to the differences vis-a-vis the First Folio (F1), thus compelling those more used to the latter version to seek out the extensive end notes to reassure themselves that (in the examples given above) it might indeed be "solid flesh," "warrant," and "pith and moment" (F1) instead of "sullied flesh," "wit," and "pitch and moment" (Q2). In other instances, however, the First Folio's language (clearly marked as such) is given preference over that of the Second Quarto; while crucially, the text also includes all those passages *only* contained in the latter, including the "stamp of one defect" and "bloody thoughts" monologues, whose interpretation has such a direct bearing on many a reader's understanding of Hamlet's character.

The text is amplified by illustrations and annotations for those unfamiliar with 16th century English, scene-by-scene plot summaries, a short biography of Shakespeare, and introductory and concluding essays on this and the Bard's other plays and on Shakespearean theatre, as well as extensive suggestions for further reading, and a key to the play's most famous lines. While it is unlikely that after 400 years of debate any one version, be it in print, on stage or on screen, will be able to generate unanimous acceptance as the "definitive" rendition of this complex play, this is an excellent starting point for an in-depth excursion into the Prince of Denmark's world.

This really is "The Tragical History of Hamlet Prince of Denmark" and not only the Prince but his family. Not only his family but his friends. Not only his friends but all though that came before him and is told to those that came after him.

You can take time to scrutinize and pick apart many underlying themes or may of the phrases that now challenge Bible sayings in today's sound bites. But the real fun is in just reading the story and you will find that it is not as foreign as you may have thought.

A quick synopsis is that Old Hamlet conquered Old Fortinbras seizing his land. Now that Old Hamlet is dead, Young Fortinbras wants his land back and is willing to take it by force. Meanwhile back in Dänemark Young Hamlet who is excessively grieving for the loss of his father, gets a now insight from his fathers ghost. Looks like he was a victim of a "murder most foul"; it looks like his mother and uncle were in cahoots on the murder.

The story is about what each person felt and acted or did not act upon the situation.

You will find many movies and perverted imitations of the story but nothing will replace the original scripts that were intended to be watched.

Okay, so I am reviewing Hamlet. Its good. Everyone should know that.
But more importantly, the character Hamlet is a microcosm of us all. Our potential for reluctance, revenge, soaring intellect, and noble actions. Shakespeare created in this character a person who transcends the play he is in and helps to create a realistic humanity in fiction that has rarely, if ever, been equaled. A good reader is a rereader and Hamlet should be reread after life intervals. This text keeps giving, and that is a marvelous gift!
As for the Pelican Shakespeare series, they are my favorite editions as the scholarly research is top notch and the editions themselves looks good as an aesthetic unit. It looks and feel like a play and this compliments the text's contents admirably. The Pelican series was recently reedited and has the latest scholarship on Shakespeare and his time period. Well priced and well worth it.

This really is "The Tragical History of Hamlet Prince of Denmark" and not only the Prince but his family. Not only his family but his friends. The tragedy started in the previous generation. Will it end with Hamlet?

Many people are interested in dissecting underlying themes and read more into the characters actions than was probably intended. Many of phrases from Hamlet now challenge Bible for those popular quotes that no one remembers where they came from. The real fun is in just reading the story and as you find that it is not as foreign as you may have thought; you see many characters like these around you today.

A synopsis, Old Hamlet conquered Old Fortinbras seizing Fortinbras' land. Now that Old Hamlet is dead, Young Fortinbras wants his land back and is willing to take it by force. Meanwhile back in Dänemark Prince Hamlet who is excessively grieving the loss of his father, the king, gets an interesting insight from his father's ghost. Looks like Old Hamlet was a victim of a "murder most foul"; it appears his mother and uncle were in cahoots on the murder. On top of that they even get married before the funeral meats are cold.

The story is about Hamlet's vacillating as to what to do about his father's murder. However he does surprise many with his persistence and insight.

You will find many great movie presentations and imitations of the story; this is an intriguing read but was really meant to be watched.

oh yeah. what the world needs is my opinion on "hamlet," by william shakespeare. seems that the jury is still out on whether this is a good book or not. well, here it is: my seal of approval. great stuff mr shakespeare. i hope that i helped your writing career with this review. you go, guy.

The Pelican Hamlet is an attractive, straightforward, inexpensive paperback edition for readers already familiar with Shakespeare. The text is based primarily on the second quarto edition with some additions from the Folio; a section at the beginning includes the lines from the Folio that were not incorporated in the text. (These include the "Denmark is a prison" remarks in Hamlet's conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.) The scholarly introductory matter is rather dry but provides the usual information about the theater in Shakespearian England, etc. Glosses are adequate for those who have read the Bard before. Less experienced readers may find them a little skimpy.

Michael Morrison is THE Barrymore biographer who has done his homework: he spent nine years writing his book, compiled a host of new material and achieves a revival, nay, a resurrection! John Barrymore's RICHARDIII and HAMLET live! Not on celluloid, but they are among the most fully documented stage performances of the twentieth century. There are countless photos, reviews, promptbooks, letters, interviews. Morrison's reconstruction of RICHARDIII is based on Barrymore's recording, a film scene and a radio broadcast of the play. Barrymore made private recordings for nearly every scene of HAMLET. When he made his "streamlined Shakespeare" broadcasts in 1937 his technique had eroded, but he retained the patterns he had established while studying for the role. Even in 1933 when he made his HAMLET screen test his voice had a youthful timbre and his readings are subtle and powerful. Morrison put the puzzle together and is able to determine which syllables Barrymore stressed, when he spoke harsher, quicker, higher, colder, sarcastic or ironic, when he pauses, whispers, jumps up, fondles or slaps his leading lady - virtually every word and inflection is documented!

John Barrymore was the greatest American stage-actor of the twentieth century, His Shakespeare performances two of the most significant events in the history of the modern stage. They made formidable impact on the post-WWI generation, like Picasso's paintings and Strawinsky's music. He was the first to reinterpret time-honored roles in the light of Freud's psychological theory.

Before 1915 he was a clever comedian, a matinee-idol and a colorful figure in New York's high life. He tended to bohemianism and nocturnal adventures and lacked discipline. But he was ingratiating and his sparkling wit and physical attractiveness mollified even indignant producers. The failure of his first marriage and his friendship to playwright Edward Sheldon made him "reinvent" himself. His harrowing portrayal of a clerk who forges a check to rescue a woman from her abusive husband in Galsworthy's JUSTICE was hailed as epochal Broadway event. The audience found him "electrifying" in the jail-scene, where he was subjected to dehumanizing conditions. His "refined, sensitive, dreamy" PETER IBBETSON was a WWI hit, with its theme of love transcending separation and death. In Tolstoi's REDEMPTION Barrymore proved a "treasure mine" for producer Arthur Hopkins and THE JEST was a sensation: his character's sensuality was an irresistible lure to sexually liberated post-war audiences.

The idea to play RICHARDIII came when he observed a "sinister" red tarantula at the Bronx zoo. Barrymore, who admired the macabre & bizarre portrayed the wretched king with ironic humor and malevolent intensity. Margaret Carrington, his vocal coach, was impressed by his dedication and critics praised the ardent love-scene with Richard as "misunderstood saint" who sits on the throne "like an obscene condor meditating the death of the princes". They concluded that Barrymore had "jazzed up" Shakespeare to the point of real popularity, but Robert Edmond Jones commented: "It's abnormal. It isn't human to drive yourself like that". Sometimes his armor grew so hot that he was "grilled" and his affair with poetess "Michael Strange" was tempestous overwork. After less than 4 weeks the actor suffered a nervous breakdown and entered a sanitarium.

He survived the flop of CLAIR DE LUNE, a pretentious play that his wife wrote especially for him and worked again with Carrington - who hired her fourteen years old niece as chaperone (he behaved well). The description of his epoch-making HAMLET is is the core of Morrison's book.

John Barrymore was the first Hamlet with an Oedipus complex. His biographers agree that his stepmother's sexual abuse may have been the source of his conception of Hamlet as incestuous prince. His Hamlet is "manly, more sexual and menacing than the "sweet prince" of Victorian tradition. His Hamlet's "frank sexuality" shocked his partners. When he took the production to London he demanded a "lecherous court", "drunken orgies" and "half-bare bosoms" (His language was always colorful). He broke Edwin Booth's record of 100 consecutive performances. Most critics were enthusiastic, few superlatives were spared. Shaw criticized his cuts, but Laurence Olivier found: "When he was on stage the sun came out".

Soon Barrymore relapsed into his old humdrum way: drinking champagne, playing pranks - and then he threw his role away because he wanted to join his wife in Paris...Morrison dedicates the last chapter to Barrymore's Hollywood career: His mythic intemperance, disregard for his own well-being, his efforts to honor his monumental debts with the play MY DEAR CHILDREN ("A peep-show! a spiritual striptease with Gypsy Rose John!") and his self-parody on the Rudy-Vallee-show. A title-card in THE BELOVED ROGUE (1927) says: "One must sorrow that a man of such genius should be a drunken clown".

This is one of the best books ever written on the performing arts. By focusing in on Barrymore's Shakespearean acting only, Morrison manages to show how a second-rate light comedian turned himself into a great artist by sheer hard work -- and then, horrifyingly, how an artist transformed himself into a clown through laziness and dissipation. Through the use of the actor's playbooks and impressive research, Morrison does the impossible and brings Barrymore's stage performances as Richard III and Hamlet so vividly alive you'll swear you're in the theater watching them (I was holding my breath at the end of "Hamlet"). Along the way there are vivid portraits of the idealistic, progressive theater in the 1920's and, a decade later, the ancestry of today's poisonous and envious celebrity culture. Once you read this book you'll never look at Barrymore the same way again.

Michael Morrison has provided us with a stirring portrait of one of America's greatest actors, John Barrymore. His book is a vivid account of Barrymore's innovative approach to Shakespearean acting and subsequent rise to fame. This book is required reading for Shakespearean scholars and Barrymore enthusiasts alike.

Michael Morrison's book fills a much needed gap in the large Barrymore biographical canon: it tells the story of Barrymore the artist. Many of the other great biographies of the man and family (Margot Peter's THE HOUSE OF BARRYMORE, anything by James Kotsilibas-Davis, to name only two of many excellent others) understandably short-shrift the details found here, in favor of the fabulous "bon mots" and the large tragic arc of his life. Morrison, if it's possible to believe, makes that tragedy all the more heartbreaking by detailing the hard work that Barrymore put himself through to transform himself from a light comedian into the greatest tragic actor of his generation - and arguably the last great tragic actor of the American theatre.

The detailed recreations of Barrymore's acting in RICHARD III and HAMLET are facinating. They provide all of us who have come after some small picture of what it must have been like to actually see him on stage. It helps, I suppose, to be familiar with his film work, to have heard at least some of his Shakespearean recordings, in order to fully visualize Barrymore's "flashing, rapier" genius at work - but it's probably not necessary. A must for all Barrymore fans, actors, and theatre lovers, this book is a treasure. But beware, its story could break your heart.

Like all the Arkangel Shakespeare, this production of "Julius Caesar" is great listening. I've listened to it many times and I never get tired of hearing it. I'd especially single out for praise the superb sound effects: the thunderstorm early in the play sounds so real you almost feel wet! Highly recommended.

These audio CDs were a valuable addition to my unit. Students were able to hear the text's tone, inflection, and nuances and then more accurately pattern their own oral readings after that of the professional actors on the CD. The CDs also aided students' comprehension. I used them with Acts 4 and 5, and next year I will play the key speeches in Act 3 for students before we engage in role play. Students read along in their texts while listening to the audio.

I have used this version in teaching Julius Caesar to sophomores in high school with great luck. The actual length of each scene shows on my computer (Windows Media Player), so I can plan lessons appropriately. The actors do an excellent job and my students enjoy listening as they follow along in the lit. texts. I whole-heartedly endorse this item.

High School English students never loved Julius Caesar, and the dated movie versions that our school owns don't help any. This recording brings the emotion of the story to life, and I think my sophomores secretly enjoyed it (but would die before they admitted it.)

Having purchased this recording to hear the voice of Toby Stephens as much as to enjoy this classic play, I found the experience totally satisfying in both regards. The other reviews have well covered many aspects of the performances of the main characters. I would like to focus on Toby since this is linked to amazon.com's ALL Toby All the Time site and might be useful to other fans. Toby plays Edmund (or Edmond per the liner notes), the bastard son of the Earl of Gloucester, an ally of King Lear. Honestly, Toby is brilliant in this. A perfect part to display all the rich tones in his voice and he make the most of it. He has a soliloquy early in the play plotting against his brother and bemoaning the fact that the accident of his birth leaves him with no inheritance. He has a big section at the end displaying his wonderful range, also. There's swordplay, calling out ( think of that voice that called "Jane, Jane"), whispering, mocking, pleading - lots for Toby lovers to appreciate. I am on my second time through and enjoying it even more. The liner notes are quite helpful to place everybody. (Beware - my copy came with several blank pages including the page that should have had Toby's picture and bio. Fortunately, Naxosaudiobooks has been very responsive and is mailing me a replacement.) This is no substitute for him in all his visual glory but it satisfies by reminding me what a magnificent talent he has to display when given words worthy of it.

Although the liner notes describing portions of Act 4 in the boxed set I received were a little amiss, it would be hard to see how the performance itself could be improved. Paul Scofield is absolutely extraordinary as Lear as is Alec McGowen as Glouster and Kenneth Branagh as the Fool. Five stars isn't enough! It's rare that a story like this, which can become quite complex if one isn't familiar with the action, can literally jump off the recording and present us with visual images all along the way. Every actor deserves the highest praise for his/her performance!

This series of Shakespeare's plays is read by artists who have wonderful skills, and you can understand the dialogue better than most stage productions. Frequently Shakespearean stage productions, for time constraints or other reasons typically abridge the complete text. These readings are complete, and can be followed word by word from the written plays. They are the best means to prepare to see a stage production, and can be used as a benchmark for judging performances. Often the directors of contemporary productions make other modifications beyond the text for modern audiences. If you want to hear how the classic version should sound, then this is it.

"We are all struggling; none of us has gone far." Perhaps not, but the world presented in these poems of a Bhakti, devotion is a different, further, place, one of struggle yet, but also of ecstatic love. Kabir is a poet from India Fourteenth century, while Bly a poet of our time. He tries to bring this home with specifics for our age, for example, "a loaded gun" rather than "deadly weapon" . These are not translation, but are Robert Bly's "versions". Divided into 4 sections "The Gardener is Coming", "The Wanting Creature", "The Bride Want Her Lover", and "The Guest is Inside You". There are some startling lines in these poems; for example:
if you can't find where your soul is hidden, for you the world will never be real.

When you're trying to find a hardwood forest, it seems wise to know what a tree is.

There is a moon in my body, but I can't see it.

This short book is rich, the short introduction gives a setting of Kabir, while the poems themselves are nicely illustrated for example "Krishna with Flute", help to give an otherworldly effect. The afterward by John Hawley, helps to locate Bly, and proposes a connection from Thoreau to Bly.

Beautiful translation of one of my favorite mystic poets! Robert Bly's translation of Kabir allows us to experience this mystic poet in a personal way without losing any of the beauty of the poetry. Really enjoyed this book.

Indeed these poems are of such a depth that it is difficult to render their content. Let's say it's the Sufi tradition in full. Just glimpses of the Absolute Truth expressed in words. Let the power of the sound embrace your whole being. Excellent!

It's so hard to find WISDOM these days...
not "moral/ethical" wisdom, or "financial" wisdom,
but ECSTATIC WISDOM.
So few people are interested in the subject of
actually experiencing divine ecstasy...they're too
tied down by dogma, worship of imagery & robotic
ceremonies, etc. That's why this Kabir book by Mr. Bly
is so refreshing...like a real literary Oasis.
It's LOADED with wisdom of the divine ecstasy kind.
I don't care about any translation controversies...
I just approach the book as its own entity...and
understand the ecstatic wisdom it radiates.
I want to thank Mr. Bly for producing this book of
ecstatic wisdom poetry...there's so little of it
available. THANK YOU MR. BLY.

Hello, my name is Shannon, and I have a Shakespeare comprehension problem. I cannot elicit any meaning out of "thither he in and me within," or "wherefore art thou," so when my AP lit class delved into MacBeth, I was already waving the white flag.
Then my mom pulls out this book we picked up at Folger Shakespeare Library in D.C. She tells me a teacher wrote a poem about MacBeth for 2nd graders to understand--she had her 2nd grade class draw the pictures in them. Okay, I need all the help I can get, so I acquiesce.
And this book is incredible. The poem is fiercely creative and original, the drawings are such a hoot, and I am understanding the entire play to the point that I am acing quizzes and writing high reviews on Amazon for MacBeth (as I'm doing now). Some people may be recommending this for tiny tots getting into Big Will. I'm calling out to all HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WHO WANT A LITTLE HELP!!! Get this book. Trust me.

I have 2 sons, ages 9 and 11, and they both love Lois Burdett's Shakespeare books! These books make the story lines accessible while providing the flavor of Shakespeare through the wonderful rhyming couplets. I first used one of these books to "preview" the story of MacBeth to my younger son, who was going to be in a children's musical production of the story. He loved the book and often asks me to reread it to him, and we have since acquired several other of the Burdett titles. My sons also enjoy the whimsical illustrations and sidebars done by the children.

I am a third grade teacher on Long Island. Last year I introduced three of Willaim Shakespeare's plays into our classroom. My children loved Macbeth. We studied Macbeth, The Tempest and Hamlet. The way Mrs. Burdett wrote in rhyming couplets really made the reading enjoyable! I plan on using her books throughout my teaching career. Thank you Lois Burdett! Shakespeare can be fun thanks to you.

-Michael Hynes

What a wonderful way to introduce Shakespeare to children! I used this book as a third grade teacher to teach inner city kids about Macbeth. It was amazing to hear the students discussing all of the characters and their actions. They were proud of themselves for learning about Shakespeare "like high school kids." If you make it fun, they will have fun!

I bought this poster a few years ago during a visit to Stratford while living in London and now it hangs in my bedroom, and I can't help reading bits of it each time I pass by it. It is a very unique bit of wall art, with a very enchanting image of Puck in the center.

This poster hangs in my classroom, and my students never believed that the entire play really could be printed on that one page. After we performed the play, we took down the poster, just to be absolutely sure -- and lo and behold, every word of the play is there! The illustration makes it a work of art in TWO ways -- since really, who would want to hang an entire play on their wall otherwise? As is, the poster is a constant source of entertainment and conversation for visitors to our class. I wish he'd have done a poster of "Taming of the Shrew"!

This is one of the best layouts for unabridged books imaginable! I would highly recommend!

This has to be the perfect gift, to give or receive. It's timeless. A complete Shakepeare play on one, elegant page.

I've had mine framed; it hangs in the hallway, and draws people like a magnet. Needless to say, I shall buy further editions for friends and family. Great idea!