[.ca] Globe Illustrated Shakespeare: Complete Works (ISBN 0517205963)

Neither "The Globe" nor "Shakespeare" belong on this edition:
I am loathe to waste *any* time reviewing this volume, except that I cannot bear that the names of "The Globe" and "Shakespeare" are suffering by being used here. Additionally, I would save unsuspecting buyers some money. Note first that Howard Staunton, the editor of "The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare" died in 1874. That is how current this edition is. Unfortunately modern corporations continue to reprint this woefully out-dated version of Shakespeare (the long-deceased editor requiring no royalty payments) and assign a "publication date" that makes this reprint sound contemporary. \oPublisher names associated with this uncritical approach to reproducing Shakespeare may vary. This "Globe Illustrated" printing has come out under publisher names "Gramercy", "Random House VALUE", and (in 1983) "Greenwich House".\c Caveat, caveat, caveat emptor! Do not assume that "Shakespeare is Shakespeare". This version may be great "for your collection" but you will not find yourself wanting to dip into the Bard's momental works here. It is NOT accurate. Scholarship has advanced so far in the past century that those in the know LAUGH at many of the editorial decisions that were passed along in Staunton's day. Rather than repeat here my thoughts about better editions, please see the discussion in the review of one of the Gramercy printings ( ISBN 0517053616 ) for REWARDING editions of Shakespeare \o e.g., those published by Arden/Routledge, Oxford, Addison-Wesley (ed.: David Bevington), Penguin \c. Do your love of Shakespeare some justice and do not support this attractive *looking* offer. PS: The illustrations are quaint Victorian fantasies - obscuring rather than illustrating what the Elizabethan master achieved. For an appreciation of how we may finally reach back to the original Shakespearean intent (without Victorian filters), please see Fintan O'Toole's recently re-released "Shakespeare is Hard, but So Is Life" (search for Amz ISBN 186207528X ).

PRICE NO GOOD ON AMAZON:
GO TO www.overstock.com/ AND FIND THE SAME BOOK FOR $50.99 + $1.40 S & H

Now its a good price:
They got smart and droped it below the price they first had up

I love Shakespeare... but this edition?:
This is NOT where you want to spend your money. There are many good editions. Try Arden or Oxford. This one is NO help. Believe the negative reviews.

Great Cover. But...:
Saw this book on in a friends library and picked it up because it was so attractive. I've always thought i should read shakespeare, so i tried browsing in it. Not much fun. So i came to amazon to look for reviews. Now i see what the problem was. Sure it seems awesome to have such a polished looking volume on the coffee table, but i'm starting with the Oxford student edition of a couple plays and finally starting to GET shakespeare! This one is too expensive a centerpiece for my table if i'm never going to feel able to understand it!