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The Book of Hot Air and Creeps in the Shadows.....
Don't Read the Plot Summaries . . .
Good...But
Hunting for Will Shakespeare
In search of the literary grail

The Book of Air and Shadows
Michael Gruber
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060874465
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

A distinguished Shakespearean scholar found tortured to death . . .

A lost manuscript and its secrets buried for centuries . . .

An encrypted map that leads to incalculable wealth . . .

The Washington Post called Michael Gruber's previous work "a miracle of intelligent fiction and among the essential novels of recent years." Now comes his most intellectually provocative and compulsively readable novel yet.

Tap-tapping the keys and out come the words on this little screen, and who will read them I hardly know. I could be dead by the time anyone actually gets to read them, as dead as, say, Tolstoy. Or Shakespeare. Does it matter, when you read, if the person who wrote still lives?

These are the words of Jake Mishkin, whose seemingly innocent job as an intellectual property lawyer has put him at the center of a deadly conspiracy and a chase to find a priceless treasure involving William Shakespeare. As he awaits a killer—or killers—unknown, Jake writes an account of the events that led to this deadly endgame, a frantic chase that began when a fire in an antiquarian bookstore revealed the hiding place of letters containing a shocking secret, concealed for four hundred years. In a frantic race from New York to England and Switzerland, Jake finds himself matching wits with a shadowy figure who seems to anticipate his every move. What at first seems like a thrilling puzzle waiting to be deciphered soon turns into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, where no one—not family, not friends, not lovers—is to be trusted.

Moving between twenty-first-century America and seventeenth-century England, The Book of Air and Shadows is a modern thriller that brilliantly re-creates William Shakespeare's life at the turn of the seventeenth century and combines an ingenious and intricately layered plot with a devastating portrait of a contemporary man on the brink of self-discovery . . . or self-destruction.

Customer Reviews:

The Book of Hot Air and Creeps in the Shadows............2007-06-27

Sometimes audacity pays off. And one must possess a lot of confidence to attempt the kind of literary mystery Michael Gruber created in The Book of Air and Shadows. Innocents, eccentrics, evildoers, scholars and conventionalists whose lives spiral, spin and overlap in an intensely intricate pattern populate Gruber's sweeping mystery tale. At the dead center of the maze sits William Shakespeare.

Gruber boldly conspires to devise a story that recreates William Shakespeare's life at the turn of the 17th century complete with an unpublished manuscript written in the master's own hand and shrouded in obscurity. He juxtaposes this extraordinary storyline with a present-day account of the chase to recover and profit from this treasure.

Gruber adds in an assortment of characters, grabs hold of his plot and crawls through a labyrinth of twists and turns culminating in the final scene with all the loose ends tied neatly into a bow. Perhaps too neatly considering the miasma that permeates the rest of the novel.

Given the risks of such bold biographical and novelistic underpinnings, anything less than a perfectly calibrated fictional performance by Gruber would be disastrous. Luckily, in writing The Book of Air and Shadows, Gruber has pulled off a decent if not perfect crime. This is an interesting concept for a mystery, no doubt influenced by many of the other novels of this type including some of the more contemporary renderings such as The Da Vinci Code, The Shadow of the Wind, The Eight, etc. While it is intelligent, ambitious, inventive and, clever, I did have some reservations as to how charmed I was versus how charmed I could have been.

For starters,
* I found Jake's obsession with bedding every woman he meets annoying to the point of distraction. It did not make for a likeable protagonist, no matter how self-deprecating he appeared. An offensive protagonist is pushing the envelope.
* It was hard to withhold my disbelief that Jake did not recognize Carolyn Rolly with different colored hair.
* I doubt someone like Rolly would so easily adjust her disreputable behavior and lifestyle for Crosetti--to me the most likeable and honorable of the male characters.
* No woman exists (nor should exist) like Amalie--she was supposed to be both smart but stupid???? I kept biting back the "Yeah, right and Oh Pulease" thoughts constantly invading my mind during what appeared to be Gruber's mythological construct of the perfect woman. Her lack of self-respect called her virtue into question and this reader was not impressed with the resulting characterization.
* Paul's past and present connections were implausible.
* The thugs and gangsters and their misfires were laughable.
* Again, the ending was too pat and many of the minor characters that became involved in solving the mystery were too expedient.

Overall, there were too many unlikeable, unscrupulous transparent characters (and these were the good guys!) for this book to land in my "best books of the year" list. There are other areas of the book that were too over the top but enough about that.

That's just my take into this maelstrom of a tale that features multiple duplicitous characters, femmes fatale, the discovery of stolen valuable manuscripts, Russian, American and Jewish thugs, Shakespeare and company and a scholar who would risk all for the Bard, subplots about the nature of the missing play and encrypted maps, enormous expenditures of money that have unseemly and unlikely origins, deadly conspiracies, shocking secrets concealed for four hundred years, and disturbing couplings. Certainly some of the pleasure of reading The Book of Air and Shadows derives from grasping at the literary fantasy flying about. Though this novel may appear to borrow from other works of like mind--a modern day yet gothic tale with nods to Shakespeare as well as contemporary writers--Gruber's The Book of Air and Shadows is much more than the sum of its "borrowed" parts. This is a mystery that creates its own intensely disconcerting world. The ambiance of that world stays with the reader long after all the hidden identities have been unmasked, the mystery has been solved, and the treasured manuscript is safely ensconced in a lawsuit. An often frustrating, but solid read! Though I have voiced ambivalence, I believe those of you who read this story would find something worthy of your time.

Don't Read the Plot Summaries . . ........2007-06-17

I thought of using "Masterpiece Thriller" or "A Wild and Thoughtful Ride" as my titles, but wanted to get one key message across to Amazon browsers: The less you know about what is going to happen, the better, as this story unfolds before you.

It's An Instance of the Fingerpost: A Novel meets The Maltese Falcon, as written by Robert Ludlum. A compelling combination. The author uses three entirely distinct narrating points of view to move the story along and uses those perspectives to expound on Shakespearean England, film, bookbinding, dysfunctional families---there is a lot going on here.

While the book is fairly classified as a "literary thriller," it becomes more of the latter and less of the former as it moves along. While the writing seems very real for most of the book, the characters are unrealisticly outstanding--in the modeof, say, James Patterson--and there's a bunch of gratuitous "sex talk"--not sex scenes,but rather guys talking unrealistically about sexual exploits--that weaken the book somewhat, but these problems stand out as imperfections because the book is otherwise executed at such a high level.

Get ready to enjoy yourself.

Good...But.......2007-06-16

I listened to the audio book and I have to say I found myself skipping a lot. I normally like this kind of literary thriller but there is way too much digression. The description of the characters back story goes on too long and too often. The author spends page after page telling us the whole life story of almost every character. It's just too much.

Hunting for Will Shakespeare.......2007-06-13

This convoluted and improbable hunt-for-a-lost-Shakespeare-play does have some interesting features. The third-person protagonist, Albert Crosetti, is a film buff who believes that movies teach us how to behave and even shape our reality. For example, referring to the quick draw showdown of the old West, (which was invented by a screenwriter, according to the novel), Crosetti says "Now we have a zillion handguns because the movies taught us that a handgun is something a real man has to have, and people really kill each other like fictional western gunslingers." It's an interesting idea, and Crosetti's character develops it in some detail as he predicts events in the plot based on the movies. He even suggests that modern behavior was originally based on Shakespeare's plays, which adds an ironic twist to the action.

There's a second protagonist, Jake Mishkin, the half-Jewish Catholic grandson of a Nazi, who speaks in the first person and opens the story at the cliffhanger stage, presumably to grab our attention in a hurry. He's a lawyer, his sister is a rich prostitute and his brother is a Jesuit priest.

The book jumps back and forth between the two protagonists, but adds an additional element: the Shakespeare narrative. This is a series of letters written by a man who knew the Shakespeare, with one letter tacked on to the end of each chapter. It takes a while to get used to and I didn't like it. It was too fragmented and it began to seem formulaic after a few chapters.

I can't give this book more than 3 stars. It's too long (466 pages in the hardbound edition) for a suspense novel, the characters come across as wooden, it's too choppy as the narration skips between the 3 points of view and it gives much more detail on the characters than is really needed to drive the plot along. I came very close to dropping it into my did-not-finish-because-of-boredom stack. I finally got interested, about 350 pages in, but the ending let me down and now I'm sort of sorry I bothered. There's only time for so many books, and this one just wasn't that good.

In search of the literary grail.......2007-06-10

Albert Crosetti, a young filmmaker in progress works in a rare book store. A fire next door to the shop sets off an international quest for a literary grail, an undiscovered manuscript by William Shakespeare, written in his own hand. The play which is about Mary Queen of Scots is the product of 17th Century intrigue as England labors under post-Elizabethan religious turmoil under the reign of the beheaded Mary's son King James I.

Bracegirdle, a young man of so little promise that his father apprenticed him off, proves to be a talented accountant, inventor, gunner, cryptographer, and (ultimately) spy. He is sent by Lord Darden to befriend "W.S." with a fanciful claim that they are maternal cousins. Bracegirdle's mission is to convince W.S. to write a play glorifying the late Scottish queen and prove W.S. to be a secret papist.

The Bracegirdle manuscript discovered in the binding of a water-damaged rare book is taken to a British scholar in residence at Columbia who cheats Crosetti and then having made a deal with the devil, a Russian gangster, pays with his life. But by then the Bracegirdle document has been placed for safekeeping with a New York lawyer Jacob Miskin, who opens this narrative in a cottage on Lake Henry awaiting his own death.

This is an astonishingly well-crafted novel, written in three distinct voices-Crosetti, Miskin and Bracegirdle. It presents historical and literary back-story with keen insight, while making but one passing and sly reference to the DaVinci Code to which this work most favorably compares. Michael Gruber clearly contemplates a blockbuster version to be produced and offers some insights into film, reality and art that are truly thought provoking.

Push the Buy It Now button and travel through time and space with characters you will never forget.

World of Shakespeare: The Complete Plays and Sonnets of William Shakespeare (38 Volume Library)

Average customer rating:

Glad I Bought These Volumes
Meeker Review
Ahoy there!
wonderful bargain
Nice set of books.

World of Shakespeare: The Complete Plays and Sonnets of William Shakespeare (38 Volume Library)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0143104802

Book Description

The World of Shakespeare: The Complete Plays and Sonnets of William Shakespeare (38 Volume Library) By William Shakespeare Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmiller, General Editors

Amazon.com Exclusive

The Pelican Shakespeare is available in hardcover for the first time in one complete collection only at Amazon.com.

For anyone with an abiding love of the Bard and his to all of Shakepeares singular contributiOn to English literature, this complete library combines enduring beauty with the scholarship and authority demanded by modern readers. Easier to read and enjoy than massive, single-volume editions, these individual volumes feature authori tative text, essays on how the plays would have been performed in Shakespeare's day, and notes valuable for general readers, teachers, students, and theater professionals. Here, in 38 truly stunning heirloom volumes, are William Shakespeare's classic plays and sonnets in the only complete, individually-bound set of Shakespeare's works currently available. The tragedies, comedies, histories, and poetry, so beloved by millions of readers and theater-goers, are reproduced here in luxurious, linen-bound hardcovers, enhanced by silver stamping on the covers and spines, and sewn-in, satin ribbon markers.

The distinguished Pelican Shakespeare editions have sold five million copies. Since the series debuted more than forty years ago, developments in scholarship have revolutionized our understanding of William Shakespeare, his time, and his works. The general editors of the Pelican Shakespeare, Stephen Orgel of Stanford University and A. R. Braunmiller of UCLA, have assembled a team of six eminent scholars who, along with the general editors themselves, have prepared new introductions and note * Authoritative and meticulously researched texts * Illuminating new introductions and notes by distinguished authors * Essays on Shakespeare's life, the theatrical world of his time, and the selection of texts * A handsome new design inside and out * Deluxe packaging, including a full-linen case with silver stamping, ribbon marker, printed endpapers, and acid-free paper * Line numbers marking every tenth line and footnote references * Both glossorial and explanatory notes appearing conveniently at the foot of the page

Included are:

Tragedies

Antony and Cleopatra

Coriolanus

Hamlet

Julius Caesar

King Lear

Macbeth

Othello

Romeo and Juliet

Timon of Athens

Titus Andronicus

Histories

Henry IV, Part I

Henry IV, Part II

Henry V

Henry VI, Part I

Henry VI, Part II

Henry VI, Part III

Henry VIII

King John

Richard II

Richard III

Comedies

All's Well That Ends Well

As You Like It

The Comedy of Errors

Cymbeline

Love's Labor's Lost

Measure for Measure

The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merchant of Venice

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Much Ado About Nothing

Pericles

The Taming of the Shrew

The Tempest

Troilus and Cressida

Twelfth Night

Two Gentlemen of Verona

The Winter's Tale

Poetry

The Sonnets

Customer Reviews:

Glad I Bought These Volumes.......2007-05-15

The reviews encouraged me to buy this series, and I'm very glad I did. I've read a number of different Shakespeare editions; my favorite had been the Folger. But these books are luxurious, and comparing one to a Folger proves the quality of the paper and the clear, easy-to-read text. At the $89 price - and even higher - these volumes are a rare bargain.

Meeker Review.......2007-05-12

I love Shakespeare and for the value of this product, I would have pai full price. I loved it. Great books. A must have for every reader out there.

Ahoy there!.......2007-05-12

Finding the complete works of the bard at such a ridiculously low price - less than $90 - was an offer to good to pass. Hence I ordered them. As for the books themselves, content-wise, that is, there's not much to say; it has stood the test of time. Binding, paper quality and such is also most satisfactory. So what I'd like to comment on concerns shipping.

Seeing that this set consists of 38 vols. I decided it best to spring for the expensive shipping option offered by Amazon. Having the set thrown about by the plebeian postal service for what might prove close to a month (I live in Norway,) seemed to me a choice most unwise. And besides, for less than $35 the books would be delivered at my home by a courier (can't say I noticed which courier; but just think something along the line of "The King of Queens" and you get the picture) thus also sparing me the hassle of having to pick it up at my local post office. So far so good ...

The books came within the estimated delivery time set by Amazon. No complaint there. But one corner of the box containing the books was actually wet! Luckily I was at home and thus able to open the box immediately in order to salvage the valuables contained therein. As it turned out, only Macbeth showed slight signs of having been exposed to some vile scheme involving liquid; being, I hope, but water. However, had I not been at home, I shudder at what the consequences would have been.

So what's the moral of this story, you might ask? It is but this. Amazon: In the future, please apply some form of plastic wrapping to the box before setting it adrift. The next customer might otherwise end up receiving a set badly in need of a tumble-dryer!

wonderful bargain.......2007-01-10

These books are of much higher quality than you might expect from the price: good, sewn bindings; good, if not quite excellent quality paper; nice decorative end-papers; sewn in ribbon for marking your place. They open nicely and just feel good in your hands. On top of that, these are, as described, the most recent Pelican Shakespeare editions, which is to say that they are well edited, with good introductions and helpful, though not cumbersome or intrusive notes. The paperback edition of these works are listed on Amazon (search for 'pelican shakespeare') and allow you to see what the pages look like. I appreciate, for instance, that character names are fully spelled out, unlike some editions. I read the reviews here, placed my order, and I'm delighted with the books and quite frankly amazed at the value.

Nice set of books........2007-01-10

The binding isn't as high-end as I'd hoped for though. Easy to read individual titles, that's good enough to use for studying.

Shakespeare and Co.: Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Dekker, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, John Fletcher and the Other Players in His Story

Average customer rating:

Shakespeare and Co: Marlow, Thomas Dekker, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, John Fletcher and the other Players in His Story

Shakespeare and Co.: Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Dekker, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, John Fletcher and the Other Players in His Story
Stanley Wells
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375424946
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Book Description

From one of our most distinguished Shakespeare scholars, here is a fascinating, lively, anecdotal work of forensic biography that firmly places Shakespeare within the hectic, exhilarating world in which he lived and wrote.

Theater in Shakespeare's day was a burgeoning “growth industry." Everyone knew everyone else, and they all sought to learn, borrow or steal from one another. As Stanley Wells suggests: "To see Shakespeare as one among a great company is only to enhance our sense of what made him unique.”

Wells explores Elizabethan and Jacobean theater, both behind the scenes and in front of the curtain. He examines how the great actors of the time influenced Shakespeare's work. He writes about the lives and works of the other major writers of Shakespeare’s day and discusses Shakespeare’s relationships—sometimes collaborative—with each of them. And throughout, Wells shares his vast knowledge of the period, re-creating and celebrating the sheer richness and variety of Shakespeare's social and cultural milieus.

Shakespeare and Co. gives us a new understanding of how the Bard achieved unparalleled singularity as the greatest writer in the language.

Customer Reviews:

Shakespeare and Co: Marlow, Thomas Dekker, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, John Fletcher and the other Players in His Story.......2007-05-24

A fun, fast read...If your looking for who wrote Shakespeare other the Shakespeare you will be disappointed...Prof. Wells though speculates on who may have collaborated with Shakespeare on some plays a little more freely the other academics might but don't look for a smoking gun...the best passage in the book in my opinion is Prof. Wells description of the death of Marlow, it is vivid and would make a great story for any High School Lit. teacher to use to spice up her/his Jr. Eng. Lit. class.

If you are into Shakespeare I think you will find "Shakespeare & Co.:..." a great read.

William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Deluxe Edition

Average customer rating:

Works of William Shakespeare
Excellent
Excellent Quality for the price
Excelent
Remember......

William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Deluxe Edition
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

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Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Works, Deluxe Edition
Charles Dickens Four Complete Novels (Great Expectations, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities)
Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, Deluxe Edition (Library of Literary Classics)
Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
Mark Twain: Selected Works, Deluxe Edition (Burlesque Autobiography/the Prince)

ASIN: 0517053616
Release Date: 1990-09-08

Book Description

This complete and unabridged edition contains every word that Shakespeare wrote — all 37 tragedies, comedies, and histories, plus the sonnets. You’ll find such classics as The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew. This Library of Literary Classics edition is bound in padded leather with luxurious gold-stamping on the front and spine, satin ribbon marker and gilded edges. Other titles in this series include: Charlotte & Emily Bronte: The Complete Novels; Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Works; Mark Twain: Selected Works; Charles Dickens: Four Complete Novels; Lewis Carroll: The Complete, Fully Illustrated Works; and Jane Austen: The Complete Novels.

Customer Reviews:

Works of William Shakespeare.......2007-01-21

This was a gift for our son, who appreciated having all of Shakespeare's works in one attractive volume.

Excellent.......2007-01-09

This is a great compilation of Shakespeare's work. This beautifully bound tome has proven to be a great resource for me, a future English major.

Excellent Quality for the price.......2006-08-13

Very nice edition, highly quality finish and binding. The pages are standard re-production for Shakespeare issues - but overall it is excellent value for money and is attractively bound. For those who want 'notes' and 'critiques' - look elsewhere. It is as described - a leather bound edition of the complete works of Shakespeare. I love it! Thank you Amazon USA, you cant get this edition in the UK.

Excelent.......2006-07-10

What can I say? Shakespeare is the man. For any of you who love shakespeare, or just need a good reference for class; this book is amazing... not only that but you will look really intelligent if you have a thick leather bound shakespeare book on your bookshelf haha

Remember.............2006-06-28

Remember, this is a rating of not the WRITING of Shakespeare, but of the VOLUME that it is in. For those who have railed on against Shakespeare (And about how they wrote better plays about ninjas or whatever--tis true, stupid people do make themselves look like idiots on a regular basis.) this is for the book that it is in, not the writing, because there are so many books about Shakespeare, and that is what the potential consumers need. (Rated on the product's average, so as not to throw it off much.)

A Midsummer Night's Dream (Folger Shakespeare Library)

Average customer rating:

"The course of love never did run smooth."
The dream of romance is lighthearted laughter
Ill met by moonlight, proud reader?
Shakespeare at his absolute best
This book sucks

A Midsummer Night's Dream (Folger Shakespeare Library)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Much Ado About Nothing

ASIN: 0743477545

Book Description

Each edition includes:

• Freshly edited text based on the best early

printed version of the play

• Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play

• Scene-by-scene plot summaries

• A key to famous lines and phrases

• An introduction to reading Shakespeare's language

• An essay by an outstanding scholar providing a modern perspective on the play

• Illustrations from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of rare books

Essay by Catherine Belsey

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., is home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs.

Customer Reviews:

"The course of love never did run smooth.".......2007-06-26

I recently re-read A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM prior to attending The Colorado Shakespeare Festival's performance of this play under the summer stars here in Boulder. Shakespeare (1552-1616) produced this romantic comedy between 1595 or 1596 and published it in the First Folio in 1623. It follows the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of amateur actors under the influence of fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. The play is Shakespeare's most popular and is widely performed across the world.

It play tells three stories connected by the wedding celebration of Duke Theseus of Athens and the Amazonian queen Hippolyta. In the opening scene, Hermia rejects her father Egeus's request that she marry Demetrius. Rather than facing death or lifelong chastity as a nun, Hermia and her lover Lysander decide to elope. Hermia tells her best friend Helena of her plan. Helena, who has been recently rejected by Demetrius, tells him of Hermia's plan to elope. Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius all escape into the forest where they become romantically entangled under the influence of fairies.

Oberon (King of the Fairies), and his queen, Titania, arrive in the same forest. Oberon enlists the mischievous Puck (aka "Hobgoblin" and "Robin Goodfellow") to apply the magical juice from a flower to Titania's eyes while she is sleeping. The juice makes the victim fall in love with the first living thing he or she sees upon awakening. Oberon also instructs Puck to spread some juice on Demetrius's eyes. Instead, Puck puts the juice on Lysander's eyes, causing him to fall in love with Helena. To correct the error, Oberon then orders Puck to apply the juice to Demetrius's eyes, causing him to also fall in love with Helena, much to her confusion (now having two suitors).

Meanwhile, in a subplot, a band of "rude mechanicals" have been preparing a play in the forest about Pyramus and Thisbe for Theseus' wedding. Puck transforms the head of one actor, Nick Bottom, into that of an ass. When Titania is awakened by Bottom's singing, she immediately falls in love with him. Puck eventually restores Bottom's head, and lifts the spell from Lysander, but leaves Demetrius in love with Helena. The lovers conclude the night's events must have been a dream. Puck ends the play with a soliloquy.

G. Merritt

The dream of romance is lighthearted laughter .......2006-01-24

The spirit of one of Shakespeare's richest plays is lighthearted laughter. The great impressario of the proceedings is Puck who in giving the 'love potion' to the wrong person, sets up the chaos of both Demetrius and Lysander loving Helena. There are numerous networks of parallel and contrast through the work , between the worlds of the royal humans, the fairies, and the craftsmen. The motif of dreaming and imagination play a strong part in the play. And the resolution in all the couples finding themselves in love and harmony at last is a supreme happy ending.
This is one of Shakespeare's most delightful and amusing works, one of the richest comically in all the world of theater.

Ill met by moonlight, proud reader?.......2005-12-29

I must say that until I saw a simple, highschool play of this particular work, I was deathly afraid of SHakespeare, thinking it boring and only something for people over fifty to discuss and teach. WEll, i was wrong.
This particular story brings in classical characters from Greek Mythology, such as Theseus and Hyppolita (sorry if I butcher her name...lol) as well as the regal Titania and Oberon, and of course, the humorous and jovial puck and bottom.
Books like this are presented in the media to be boring but they truly are intersting and worthwhile reads. Without titles such as this, I highly doubt many writers of fantasy and romance would be the same today.
Very highly recommend as a start to Shakespeares works, though seeing it is even better!

Shakespeare at his absolute best.......2005-09-07

Midsummer Night's Dream is the bards most fantasical play in the true sense of the word. The language is absolutely beautiful and the plot is so creative and wonderful. This is a play that can be enjoyed over and over again for a lifetime. In some respects this is the perfect play to introduce young people to Shakespeare and hopefully inspire a lifelong love of his work.

This book sucks.......2005-05-26

Say, this fictional and capricious play by Shakespear (not an original printing, you should know)is a capital reading choice. I commend you for taking the time to read and admire the Immortal Bard's wonderful work. Alliteration, huh? pretty neat.

Average customer rating:

My Favorite of All of Shakespeare
One of the greatest Shakespeare works
Perfect Student Edition
This Folger Edition Has the Original Words On The Right Page and The Translations On The Left---Very Helpful!!!
To thine own self be true ...

Hamlet (Folger Shakespeare Library)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 074347712X

Customer Reviews:

My Favorite of All of Shakespeare.......2007-06-21

This drama is my favorite of all of Shakespeare's plays. I love Shakespeare's humor, and I actually have found myself literally laughing out loud at the wry humor of the main character Hamlet. But, I'm not a person who usually enjoys books that fall into the "classics" genre. So that just shows how fantastic this drama is. Once you get used to the language, this is a quick read that is very enjoyable and I find myself going back to over an over. Shakespeare was a genius playwright!

One of the greatest Shakespeare works.......2007-06-10

This version of Hamlet was a great read. Shakespeare's works can be difficult to understand, but this text was an easier read. The notes that were placed on the pages facing the text were very helpful, especially if I had difficulty understanding some of the language. I also thought the background on Shakespeare's life and the introduction to his language was also helpful in reading Hamlet.
This text left me with many thoughts regarding certain aspects of the play. For example, the big question, was Hamlet insane?
I do not think Hamlet was insane, in fact, I feel that his anger toward Claudius and his mother were justified.
I highly recommend this William Shakespeare book.

Perfect Student Edition.......2007-01-04

The Folger Libray edition is very useful for students who are unfamiliar with Elizabethan language, customs, and other oddities. The opposite page of the script acts as prompter, dictionary, and general explainer. My students found the edition easy to use and helpful.

This Folger Edition Has the Original Words On The Right Page and The Translations On The Left---Very Helpful!!!.......2006-12-06

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is one of the worlds greatest plays. There are many "quotes" from this play; one of my all-time favorites is written as Laertes gives advice to his son who is departing for France: Laertes continues his advice: "And this above all else, to thine own self be true. Then it must follow as the night the day, thou cans't not then be false to any man." But, for me, the idea that you can read this play with the original words by Shakespeare in Elizabethan English on the right page and the definitions and explanations of words and phrases conveniently on the left page is VERY needful and useful. This saves the reader much time in looking up words---or, as most people do, just skipping over passages that can't be understood due to words that are currently out of common usage. I think teachers who teach this stuff should be thrilled by this editon---finally most of their students can understand "Hamlet"! What a "boon" to teacher and student alike! See, I'm already starting to write like Shakespeare---well, not quite...yet! :o) If you have any comments: boland7214@aol.

To thine own self be true ..........2006-08-31

William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is arguably the most famous play ever written in the English language; presenting 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 available (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 by some 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 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.

Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library)

Average customer rating:

A good introduction to the tragedies.
Romeo & Juliet summary by fernando f.
romeo and juliet version. mo student review by mahed m.
stupid student review by gabriel c
R&J-Summary By EricaH

Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743477111

Book Description

Each edition includes:

Customer Reviews:

A good introduction to the tragedies........2007-05-25

Romeo and Juliet is a beautiful story, and it is a marvellous play to introduce young people to the beauty of Shakespeare. Who doesn't like to read or hear about star-crossed lovers? Who hasn't already heard the legend? The play is easy to read as the plot moves along rapidly, and it's beautifully written. Romeo and Juliet are so tragic in their love, and the silly feud between their two families is so destructive and senseless. Read it for the story, but enjoy it for the beautiful prose.

Romeo & Juliet summary by fernando f........2007-02-20

Romeo and Juliet was an epic story the meaning of the story to me was two lovers with parents keeping them away from each other. I personally really liked the book because it tells people how you can't hide true love because then it would just make things worse for the both. What I don't like in the story how they have to argue over stupid reasons if there in love then there in love let it be forget about all those problems you used to have and think about how good the future could be. Then again why did the families start arguing in the first place to start of with? Both of the families are alike they got money and they also have many family members looking after them but they get in things there not suppose to. The whole theme of the story took place in Verona Italy that's were the two lovers grew up and have been there most of there lives. So therefore both of them end up seeing each other all they want is there family to just get along and they wont have to worry about them having to sneak out to see each other in the middle of the night so if I had to rate this story I would give it a 10 because it teaches you to never hide your love for some one and I agree with that.

romeo and juliet version. mo student review by mahed m........2007-02-20

The story is about 2 young people who are in love. And there parents hate each other, and that effect show much time spend together, I personally think that your parents have an effect on how u live. But I guess in Verona that's not how it works. But I personally think the movie is better than the book. Because it is shorter and I don't have to pay attention on it.the setting takes place in Verona.

stupid student review by gabriel c.......2007-02-20

Romeo and Juliet is a story about to lovers that meet at first sight. The biggest problem they have together is that both of the families have been fighting and hate each other since they both have been born. It all started when Romeo been depressed ever day moping around and feeling sad all of the time because he loved Rosaline and she did not love him back. So one day Romeos cousin told him about this party and that Rosaline would be there so they left and Romeo saw Juliet there and followed her to her house and both exchanged thoughts about each other and decided that they will get married but secretly. So they had to come up with a plan to pretend that Juliet was died so the can get married and the planned failed and they both ended up killing themselves. Play was very stupid it sucks no one should read it because there is no point of reading this because all this play is taking up your time.

R&J-Summary By EricaH.......2007-02-20

Romeo & Juliet is a romance novel. It's a story that will make your heart sink. This magnificent couple had such a strong love for each other. It was so strong that they died together. In the beginning it was crazy how they are enemies and they want to be together but it's hard to because what they are doing is wrong to their families. At the ending they died together with their love stronger than ever, it's a heartbreaking story, wishing that they would live happily ever after.
I really enjoyed this story, although I do wish that they could have lived to be together and in love.

The Complete Pelican Shakespeare (Pelican Shakespeare)

Average customer rating:

Complete
Stick to this one
Best Ever
The Complete Pelican Shakespeare
My Favorite Complete Shakespeare...

The Complete Pelican Shakespeare (Pelican Shakespeare)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Works of Shakespeare
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The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare: An Introduction with Documents

ASIN: 0141000589

Book Description

THE CLASSIC ONE-VOLUME SHAKESPEARE,
INCLUDING ALL THE PLAYS AND POEMS,
NOW COMPLETELY REVISED AND UPDATED

The distinguished Pelican Shakespeare series has sold five million copies. Now Penguin is proud to offer this fully revised new hardcover edition of The Complete Pelican Shakespeare.

Since the series debuted more than forty years ago, developments in scholarship have revolutionized our understanding of William Shakespeare, his time, and his works. With new editors who have incorporated the most up-to-date research and debate, this revised edition of The Complete Pelican Shakespeare will be the premier choice for students, professors, and general readers for decades to come.

The general editors of the series-world-renowned Shakespeareans Stephen Orgel of Stanford University and A. R. Braunmuller of UCLA - devoted seven years to preparing introductions and notes with a team of eminent scholars to the forty volumes of Shakespeare's plays and poems. Now, the new series is complete and available in one lavish and complete edition.

* Authoritative and meticulously researched texts
* Illuminating new introductions and notes by distinguished authors
* Essays on Shakespeare's life, the theatrical world of his time, and the selection of texts
* A handsome new design inside and out * Deluxe packaging, including a full-linen case, ribbon marker, Smyth-sewn binding, printed endpapers, acid-free paper, and illustrations throughout
* Photos and drawings reflecting Shakespeare's theatrical legacy
* Line numbers marking every tenth line and footnote references
* Both glossorial and explanatory notes appearing conveniently at the foot of the page

Customer Reviews:

Complete.......2007-03-11

works really well if you are taking multiple classes with Shakespeare as required reading or if you just love Shakespeare in general

Stick to this one.......2007-01-21

After reading the Pelican edition of The Merchant of Venice, I knew this was the Complete Shakespeare edition I wanted to buy. The footnotes are excellent and the essays are a great introduction to the plays, especially to the beginner Shakespeare reader. For a deeper and more detailed review of each book, I would recommend Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare.

Best Ever.......2006-11-15

I have three different Complete Works of Shakespeare and this one is the best. It has great footnotes and intoductions. The cover does get damaged pretty fast, which is the only draw back I see. It doesn't break, but gets dirty. I'm not sure why, but everyone in my class has dirty books.

The Complete Pelican Shakespeare.......2006-11-06

This is the most complete and most helpful book of Shakespeare I have encountered. Foot notes are excellent.. I will never read Shakespeare from another publisher.

My Favorite Complete Shakespeare..........2006-08-08

The Pelican Shakespeare is oftentimes overlooked in a very crowded field of complete Shakespeare editions. It faces stiff competition from the likes of Norton (who have more or less monopolized all of literature for college students these days), Bevington, and Riverside. I own all three, but I find myself coming back to Pelican.

At first look, one can definately see why a past reviewer calls The New Pelican Shakespeare "sleeker." It is considerably more compact than the aforementioned heavyweights, and more brief compared even to the first edition. The paperback release, in particular, is ideal for students who need an edition to carry to class (it weighs less than a standard textbook).

The reason for this is that, unlike Norton in particular, the annotations throughout the text itself is relatively light. This is pretty refreshing when you just want to get to the plays. The quality of these notes is exemplary. They are cohesive, unassuming, and enlightening. As with the Bevington, line numbers are marked where there is an accompanying footnote - something that saves the reader from having to count between markings and from wondering whether there is any footnote at all for the present line. Also, general introductory material (a biography of Shakespeare, an essay on Elizabethan theatre, and an essay on the text of his plays) is kept to a bare minimum. These brief essays amount to less than ten pages. This is pretty modest compared to the likes of Riverside or Bevington. I'm not too fond of humongous all-encompassing introductions, and professors usually suppliment the reading with an external book instead: something like Russ MacDonald's "Bedford Companion to Shakespeare" for English students or Michael York and Adrian Brine's "A Shakespearean Actor Prepares" for theatre students.

I was actually taken aback by how much revision was done to the original Pelican Shakespeare - in fact, just about everything here is new: new introductions, new annotations, and even newly constructed texts themselves. (Example: In the first edition, Juliet's line in Act II: Scene 2 of "Romeo and Juliet" reads: "That which we call a rose, by any other name..." The new edition reads "That which we call a rose by any other word..." Both editions, though, include footnotes indicating the variance.) I do kind of miss the old first edition (edited by Alfred Harbage). It was a formidible, scholarly, and easy-to-use edition. In particular I will miss it's introductions to each individual play. The introductions here are by no means inferior - they are eloquent, informative, and well-researched. I may have just become attached to the more stately essays in the previous edition.

The texts themselves are authoritative, conservatively edited and beautifully presented - standard modern spelling, readable and clear typeface in two columns. "King Lear" is here in three versions. The 1608 Quarto and 1623 Folio texts are presented in columns juxtaposed side-by-side (makes for convenient comparison), followed by a conflated text (the one from the old Harbage edition, slightly edited) that combines the best of both worlds. Ample black-and-white illustrations (as well as attractive fascimiles of the first few pages of the First Folio and Quartos) compliment the edition. Overall, the Pelican Shakespeare is an edition designed with the everyday reader in mind. Students will find it a streamlined, well-designed edition for serious study.

The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare: 38 Fully-Dramatized Unabridged Plays on CD (Arkangel Shakespeare)

Average customer rating:

Great Collection
An immaculate collection.
A Wonderful Indulgence for Lovers of the Bard
Shakespeare in Wisconsin
"...poesis, poesis, the literal characters, the vatic lines..."

The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare: 38 Fully-Dramatized Unabridged Plays on CD (Arkangel Shakespeare)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: The Audio Partners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1932219005

Book Description

For the first time in audio publishing history, all of Shakespeare's plays are available in one extraordinary, definitive collection. Based on The Complete Pelican Shakespeare, here are all of the master's 38 plays, complete and unabridged, fully dramatized on CDs with an original score and sound design for each play. A monumental project that spanned five years and cost $3 million, The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare represents the collective vision of four people: Shakespeare scholar Tom Treadwell, film producer Bill Shepherd, BBC director Clive Brill, and composer Dominique Le Gendre. Together they have assembled the 400 great actors of the British theater and produced a landmark digital recording with a sophisticated layering of sound that immerses the listener in Shakespeare's world.

Customer Reviews:

Great Collection.......2007-06-22

It's great to listen to each of these cds with lots of well-known artists. I have now listened to 36 and loved each. If you're a Shakespeare fan, this is a must!

An immaculate collection........2007-05-10

I can't say enough about this collection. This is an absolutely astounding collection of all of Shakespeare's play, uncut and unabridged, performed by some of England's most talented actors an actresses, as some of the other descriptions and reviews speak of.

What I have found invaluably rewarding as a Shakespeare devotee and as a actor is to follow along to Shakespeare's text while listening to these incredible recordings. I did this for a Shakespeare course in college. We'd be assigned a play to read within a week, and within 2 hours, I'd have it all read, while hearing it performed on these amazing recordings. To hear Shakespeare's words spoken as they would have been originally heard nearly 400 years allows for a greater understanding of the composition and the rhythm of the dialogue and verse. It simply does not get any better than this.

I'd highly recommend this collection. The producers of the Arkangel Shakespeare have obviously taken great care in preserving the text of the play and by employing the best of classically trained actors, the greatest works of English literature, filled with characters and words will blossom in your mind's eye. I cannot imagine any library being complete without this collection, and it is nothing short of a delight to have for your own personal library.

Do not hesitate to consider purchasing this collection for your public or collegiate library, or for yourself. It is a hallmark in the canon of comtemporary presentations of Shakespeare's complete works.

A Wonderful Indulgence for Lovers of the Bard.......2007-01-13

This was my Christmas present this year, and I can't stop looking at it. It's almost overwhelming to decide which play to grab and listen to in the car on my drive to work. These are wonderful productions with clear, crisp sound and excellent actors. The classical training is obvious, and many will recognize the names of actors, espcially fans of BBC television. Ciaran Hinds as Antony in Antony and Cleopatra is wonderful. He's also in The Winter's Tale. For any fan of Shakespeare this is a terrific investment. For teachers of British literature it is also a wonderful classroom resource.

Shakespeare in Wisconsin.......2006-08-09

This is a gorgeous production that is indeed a treasure. I listen with a Creative Zen Vision player and every word is delicious. I have enjoyed the first seven plays, thru Hamlet, and every nuance, every word, every inflection, pause, sound, background music theme and all the audio panorama makes every minute an absolute delight. I am now in a quandary about whether to continue listening thru the series or begin again to search among the endless audio treasures for gems I might have missed. This Arkangle series is a gift from the gods and worth many times its price. This kind of talent, dedication and flawless performance beggars description.

"...poesis, poesis, the literal characters, the vatic lines...".......2006-05-26

I give this project five stars, but a qualified five. Like one of the other reviewers, I agree: there were certain scenes/characters I would have liked to hear performed differently, but considering the enormity of the project, 100% sustained satifaction seems an unreasonable expectation (indeed, the bard himself has some weak moments across the 38 plays--he was only human, after-all). And I would have liked it if the nondramatic poetry were included (there are several wonderful recordings of the sonnets available--I recommend Helen Vendler's rather introspective performance and Alex Jennings has recorded a fine complete version of the same--he also plays Berowne in the Arkangel "Love's Labor's Lost", a fine touch, considering the connections between the sonnets and that play!). But overall, how can you argue with an effort like this? Shakespeare is the greatest poet the Western world has known, and these recordings give overwhelming support to that critical commonplace. As literary values change (decline?), the eminence of Shakespeare becomes more important. To hear these plays is to hear the english language bursting at the seams. To know these plays is to know what poetry is capable of, which is nothing less than a sanction of life. And the audio format is perfect for poetry, which MUST be heard. Long live the audiobook!

Some notable strengths of this collection include, first & formost, the use of reliable, unabridged texts. An industrious student, armed with the Pelican Shakespeare, can become intimately familiar with Shakespeare's glory. The sound engineers deserve special praise, they have created a most sophisticated aural enviroment: these recordings love the headphones. I recommend some fine wine, candles, and comfy furniture. My love and I have been transported nightly for weeks, and it has been an incomparable bonding experience for us. Also lovely is the original music by Le Gendre, who helps us to realize that the Bard also wrote the most memorable songs in English. Overall, the acting is well balanced between serving the poetry and serving the drama--which is as it should be. I could go on, but I'm tired. It is a fine investment for lovers, for families, for school-children, for adults, or for solitary dreamers. Shut off the idiot box: strongly recommended!

Average customer rating:

Folger is a good series
Yale's may be the best edition of Macbeth
Macbeth does murder sleep - finish it tonight
a wonderful tragedy ...
A Masterpiece "To the last syllable of recorded time."

Macbeth (Folger Shakespeare Library)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

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ASIN: 0743477103

Customer Reviews:

Folger is a good series.......2007-01-01

It would be ridiculous for someone to come on here and give Bill a bad review. When a person writes a review on a Shakespeare play, Shakespeare is not on trial, the reviewer is. So, I have no comments on the play, just the series. This is the second Shakespeare work I have read out of the Folger Library series. The running commentary and essay at the end of the play are well done and beneficial. If you enjoy reading Shakespeare, but find the archaic language hard to grasp at times, this is a good series for you.

Yale's may be the best edition of Macbeth.......2005-12-31

Virtually all editions of Macbeth will have at least some annotations. Rummaging through five different editions, I preferred the Yale University Press version, edited by Burton Raffel, as having the most comprehensive and comprehensible notes, as well as an excellent introduction to Shakespeare's play. Raffel not only explains the meanings of obscure words, but also gives brief notes pertaining to relevant history, geography, stage directions, etc, that are rarely addressed as fully by other editors. In addition, Raffel frequently gives the proper way to stress the syllables in a line when reading it aloud, which can be extremely helpful. (However, in most places these stresses need to be very subtle, so that you don't sound like "taDUM taDUM taDUM".) And Yale's page layout is among the clearest that I've seen.

(To find this edition: at Avanced Search, enter ISBN 0300106548; or, enter Macbeth as title, and either Raffel as author or Yale as publisher.)

As a bonus, this edition includes at the back a long essay on the play by Harold Bloom. This is not an uninteresting commentary, but Bloom desperately needs a good editor. His essay is not only at least three times longer than it should be, but is startlingly repetitious. Yale would have been wise to have asked Bloom for a rewrite.

Macbeth does murder sleep - finish it tonight.......2005-08-07

One of the great Shakespearian tragedies. It deals with political avarice in the royal family and the consequences thereof on the personal lives of those involved.

What else can I say that has not already been said. The play has survived so long with such esteem for a reason. It's brilliant.

a wonderful tragedy ..........2005-06-06

Today, many people desire to see what lies ahead in life but fail to realize the ceaseless consequences that can transpire if premonitions about the future come about prior to its arrival. Macbeth is the victim in this situation, when he receives a foretelling from three supernatural witches that he would become the king of Scotland. From then on, fueled by his greed, Macbeth does anything to reign, and goes far enough as to killing his best friend. As the previous noble knight becomes a malicious evildoer, many people in Scotland yearn for his abdication or someone to put an end to his life. Soon, their wish comes through.

Though it is difficult to understand Shakespeare's style of writing and some of the language he used, this did not keep me from enjoying the book. The story itself was action-packed and had many metaphors that related to human nature.

My suggestion on reading Macbeth is to receive an overview of the story before actually reading the text, as it is extremely convoluted (but meaningful). I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading classic literature.

A Masterpiece "To the last syllable of recorded time.".......2005-04-11

"Macbeth" comes out as one of William Shakespeare's darkest and murkiest plays, most likely as a result of being written during one of Shakespeare's darkest times in his own life. This play strays away from the more common Shakespearean formula that contains a hero and his demise resulting from a specific tragic flaw. In "MacBeth", the title character is not a hero, but rather a villian. MacBeth murders the king of Scotland to bring truth to a prophecy given to him by three witches (the famous "toil and trouble" sisters). After assuming the throne, MacBeth returns to the witches and requests to hear the circumstances of his own death. The witches tell MacBeth he cannot be killed by any "man of woman born." Under a false assumption of near immortality, MacBeth relaxes his gaurd and perhaps displays his own tragic flaw of over confidence.
Focusing on the power corrupt and merciless villain MacBeth and his dastardly and influential wife Lady MacBeth, this play works as a twisted look into a mind poisioned with greed and hate. Though pessimistic and disturbing, this play must not be dismissed. It contains some of the most poetic language and beautiful lines ever to be written. It is no mystery that MacBeth stands as one of the most quoted works in literature. It is however a mystery that Shakespeare could create something so magnificient in a period when he saw life as "...a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

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