The Unabridged William Shakespeare

Do you want to know what "To be or not to be..." is really about? The script for Hamlet is here. On the other hand, "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war" is from Julius Caesar, which also gave us "the ides of March." This book is a joy, and it contains the complete works written by the Bard of Avon. It appears, at first glance, that this book only contains the comedies written by Shakespeare, but that is because there are three Tables of Contents within the book. These lists are placed at the beginning of each section, and the following page numbers begin at one again. However, not in the case of the Poems and Sonnets, which are in the Historical Plays list. There is an additional list for the exquisite plates, which add another dimension to the historical significance of this library. The artwork, such as the three witches who enter to thunder and lightning in Macbeth, is extraordinary. You will find the work of:* Sir John Gilbert (1817-1897) who created almost 750 pictures just for Shakespeare's works. * George Cruikshank, who was the son of Isaac Cruikshank, a Scottish painter, and the primary illustrator for Charles Dickens. * Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (1532-1588). Dudley knew Shakespeare, and was once courtier in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. For any student or lover of literature and art, or as a writer's reference, this is a requisite. Victoria Tarrani

This is a beautifully leather bound book. I was more than pleased with the quality of this book. Was even more amazed at the price. I was not expecting much based on the price because I expected something of this quality to cost much more.

This book is an excellent buy. If you like to read and always find yourself wishing you had more of a great writers work then this is the way to go. It contains almost if not everything he ever wrote. The book cover is flawless. If you know some one who collects books or do yourself than you got to get this one. I would however not recommend this for young kids because of its size.

THE LIBRARY SHAKESPEARE IS EXCELLANT. IT CONTAINS ALL OF SHAKESPERARE'S PLAYS, POEMS, AND SONNETS. IT HAS A BEAUTIFUL HARDCOVER, YET IT IS STILL THE EXACT SAME WORDS THAT SHAKESPEARE WROTE. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE!

Well, I guess I'm allowed to disagree. Ok, these unabridged versions get a bit long, but what could be better than this? All the wit, drama, pathos, occasional slapstick and thought that make up the enigma called "Shakespeare." The more I read about the man and of the man, the more I want, and this book delivered nicely.