William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Deluxe Edition by William Shakespeare Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Deluxe Edition
Book Review: Very good as a reference
Summary: 4 Stars
While this is perhaps not the ideal book for study or part learning, it is very good as a reference. While the layout is quite condensed, the print small it is all very clear and this seems a reasonable volume for those with an interest in the works of Shakespeare...the value is excellent.Book Review: Boring!
Summary: 1 Stars
Having read some of this mans works I have to say I'm thoroughly dissapointed. Considering most of his works have been made into blockbuster films I think it's important to note that this really is a case of the films being better than the books (in all cases). The language used is outdated and terrible for most people to understand. I'm surprised this man has become as sucessful as he is and I think he is massively overrated. Many of the plots have been done before or just been copied from history. Let's just hope he doesn't write anymore of this crap! Don't waste your money.Book Review: Better visually
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoy Shakespeare's comedies most and histories least. His is a very visual medium and you really need to see the plays to appreciate his work properly.However, once you've seen the plays reading the book brings it all back with clarity and considerable enjoyment. The one exception I found to that rule was 'Comedy of Errors'. I found that very easy to read and went to see the play shortly after doing so. I knew what to expect but was delighted to find I had underestimated what a good company of Shakespearean players can do with this material.
I clearly remember that at school most of the class didn't want to 'do Shakespeare' and we were taken to see a production of 'Twelfth Night' just before reading the play in class. Having read a wide range of material before I had quite an open mind and was enchanted with the play.
Thus when I found some of the plays less easy to read I made a determined effort to see as many of the plays as I could before making up my mind about them.
I still find the histories relatively boring, but then History bored me to tears at school so that's probaly a prejudice on my part. I also wasn't too impressed with some of his poetry which appears after the plays.
The comedies are all fun and every time I either read or see them I enjoy them all the more. The tragedies are generally very good too.
All in all I beleive this book is well worth having, especially if you like visiting the theatre.
Book Review: Shakespeare is not overrated
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is the best thing since sliced bread and definately a literary masterpiece. I think that he should be brought back from the dead and forced at knife-point to write more of this fantastic material.Book Review: Work of greatness
Summary: 4 Stars
Having read this book, I have to say that it is intellectually very stimulating and certainly a magnificent advertisement for the English language. I think that it is fair to say that you do need a certain amount of intelligence in order to be able to understand and fully appreciate the effort and writing skills of Shakespeare. Hamlet is the best of the lot and very educational.Shakespeare is the barometer of success and it is unsurprising that his work is as enjoyable today as the day it was first written. Additionally, more recently his works have been adapted for the big screen with tremendous results.