Literary studies: c 1600 to c 1800 Books
Stanford University Press Forms of Time Newton to Austen
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£19.94
Icon Books Introducing Shakespeare: A Graphic Guide
Book SynopsisShakespeare's absolute pre-eminence is simply unparalleled. His plays pack theatres and provide Hollywood with block-buster scripts; his works inspire mountains of scholarship and criticism every year. He has given us many of the very words we speak, and even some of the thoughts we think.Nick Groom and Piero explore how Shakespeare became so famous and influential, and why he is still widely considered the greatest writer ever. They investigate how the Bard has been worshiped at different times and in different places, used and abused to cultural and political ends, and the roots of intense controversies which have surrounded his work. Much more than a biography or a guide to his plays and sonnets, Introducing Shakespeare is a tour through the world of Will and concludes that even after centuries, Shakespeare remains the battlefield on which our very comprehension of humanity is being fought out.
£7.99
Nick Hern Books Evoking (and forgetting!) Shakespeare
Book SynopsisThe text of a talk given by renowned theatre director Peter Brook in Berlin in 1998, addressing essential questions about performing Shakespeare today. Brook invites us to consider the actual conditions of the Elizabethan theatre and the actual qualities of Shakespeare's language. Published as part of the Dramatic Contexts series: important statements on the theatre by major figures in the theatre.
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC King Henry VI Part 1: Third Series
Book SynopsisA fresh look at a play usually regarded as the first component of a three-part historical epic, this edition argues that Henry VI Part 1 is a 'prequel', a freestanding piece that returns for ironic and dramatic effect to a story already familiar to its audience. The play's ingenious use of stage space is closely analysed, as is its manipulation of a series of setpiece combats to give a coherent syntax of action. Discussion of the dramatic structure created by the opposing figures of Talbot and Jeanne la Pucelle, and exploration of the critical controversies surrounding the figure of Jeanne, lead to a reflection on the nature of the history play as genre in the 1590s.
£14.19
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC King Henry VI Part 2: Third Series
Book SynopsisThis edition celebrates King Henry VI Part 2 as one of the most exciting and dynamic plays of the English renaissance theatre, with its exploration of power politics and social revolution and its focus on the relationship between divine justice and sin. An extensive discussion of performance history traces the play's progress on stage from abridgement and adaptation to full historical epic. A survey of criticism discusses the wide range of responses provoked by the play's handling of its historical theme, and concludes by focusing on the element of burlesque in the attempted social revolution portrayed.
£11.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Merry Wives Of Windsor: Third Series
Book SynopsisThe Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare's only thoroughly English comedy, created an archetypal literary figure in the shape of the devious, irrepressible John Falstaff. This stimulating new edition celebrates the play as a joyous exploration of language, but also places elements of its plot firmly in a continental, specifically Italian, tradition of romantic comedy. It draws out the complexities of Merry Wives as a multi-plot play, and takes a fresh and challenging look at both textual and dating issues; a facsimile of the first Quarto is included as an appendix. The play's extensive performance history, both dramatic and operatic, is fully explored and discussed.'This is a significant and substantive edition, in that nothing has been taken for granted, everything has been opened to reconsideration. The commentary is exceptionally detailed and attentive to questions of language and meaning.'John Jowett, Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, Shakespeare QuarterlyTrade Review'This is a significant and substantive editoin, in that nothing has been taken for granted, everything has been opened to reconsideration. The commentary is exceptionally detailed and attentive to questions of language and meaning.' * Shakespeare Quarterly *'Shakespeare genially celebrates his own middle class English provincial background and seeks to do nothing more than entertain- which he does, splendidly.' * Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph, 21.08.10 *
£11.99
Double 9 Books A Journey To The Western Islands Of Scotland
Book Synopsis
£11.04
Oxford University Press The Roaring Girl and Other City Comedies
Book SynopsisThis volume offers excellent value by bringing together four of the most popular, most frequently studied and performed, city comedies by Thomas Dekker, Thomas Middleton, Ben Jonson and their contemporaries. Each of the plays features tradesmen - a shoemaker, goldsmith, merchant, shop-keepers - and depicts bustling city life.Table of ContentsThe Shoemaker's Holiday ; Eastward Ho ; Every Man In His Humour ; The Roaring Girl
£10.44
Union Square & Co. King Lear No Fear Shakespeare Deluxe Student
Book SynopsisShakespeare everyone can understandnow in new DELUXE editions! Why fear Shakespeare? By placing the words of the original play next to line-by-line translations in plain English, these popular guides make Shakespeare accessible to everyone. They introduce Shakespeare's world, significant plot points, and the key players. And now they feature expanded literature guide sections that help students study smarter, along with links to bonus content on the Sparknotes.com website. A Q&A, guided analysis of significant literary devices, and review of the play give students all the tools necessary for understanding, discussing, and writing about King Lear. The expanded content includes:Five Key Questions: Five frequently asked questions about major moments and characters in the play. What Does the Ending Mean?: Is the ending sad, celebratory, ironic . . . or ambivalent? Plot Analysis: What is the play about? How is the story told, and what are the main themes? Why do the characters behav
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Poems: Third Series
Book SynopsisIn 1593 Shakespeare awoke and found himself famous. Lines from his comic, erotic, tragic poem Venus and Adonis were on everyone's lips.The appearance in 1594 of the darkly reflective and richly descriptive Rape of Lucrece confirmed his fame as 'Sweet Master Shakespeare', Elizabethan England's most brilliant non-dramatic poet. Shorter poems in this volume testify further to Shakespeare's versatility and to his poetic fame. Some, like the much-debated 'Phoenix and Turtle', pose problems of meaning; others raise questions about authorship and authenticity. Detailed annotation and a full Introduction seek to resolve such difficulties while also locating Shakespeare's poems in their literary context, which includes his own career as a playwright.Trade Review'Shakespeare scholars will be indebted to the editors not only for fine textual and editorial work but also for a number of astute interpretations.' Project Muse (2009)
£11.67
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Volpone Or The Fox
Book SynopsisVolpone, Or, The Fox is Ben Jonson's great parable of greed, self-interest and inheritance. Using animal fable to satirize the wealthy and the greedy, it remains one of his most distinctive and compelling dramatic works.Jonson wrote the play for performance in 1606, and orchestrated its publication the following year. In it, the wealthy Venetian Volpone pretends to be on his deathbed, encouraging Voltore, Corbaccio and Corvinothe vulture, raven and crowto compete for his fortune. With unflinching harshness and biting humour, Jonson portrays a society damningly hollowed out by over-monetization.This edition has been prepared by leading textual expert, John Jowett. With incisive scholarship, he explores the play's craftsmanship and examines how theatre practitioners and critics engage with it. Detailed notes explicate an authoritative text and breathe new life into it for readers today.Arden Early Modern Drama editions offer the best in contempora
£16.14
Spark Sonnets
Book SynopsisRead Shakespeare's sonnets in all their brillianceand understand what every word means! Don't be intimidated by Shakespeare! These popular guides make the Bard's sonnets accessible and enjoyable. This No Fear guide contains:The complete original textAline-by-line translation that puts the words into everyday languagePlenty of helpful commentary
£7.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A New Jane Austen
Book SynopsisCompleting Juliette Wells' groundbreaking trio of books on Austen's readers, this latest volume revolutionizes our understanding of how Austen came to be viewed as the world's greatest novelist. Wells shows that Austen's global reputation was established not by British scholars, as is commonly believed, but by visionary American writers and collectors, working largely outside academia.Drawing on extensive research, Wells weaves together colorful, compelling case studies of men and women who, from the 1880s to the 1980s, helped readers appreciate Austen's novels, persuasively advocated for her place in the literary canon, and preserved artifacts vital to her legacy.Engagingly written and abundantly illustrated, A New Jane Austen will inform and delight scholars and Austen fans alike.Trade ReviewWells's recovery and championship of these American enthusiasts is descriptive, laudatory and accessible in style ... She gives space and a second hearing to voices and approaches whose love for all things Austen, she believes, has much to teach us. * Times Literary Supplement *If you thought you knew how Jane Austen came to be viewed as the world’s greatest novelist, think again. Wells’s meticulously researched and beautifully written book introduces a fascinating group of individuals whose contributions to Austen studies have long been obscure. After reading this book, I came to care as much about Alberta Burke and Oscar Fay Adams as I do about many of Austen’s characters. -- Professor Jennie Batchelor, University of Kent, UKAn insightful, illuminating and meticulously researched book. Wells animates her subjects with skill, energy and affection in a study that significantly deepens our understanding of early Austen experts and enthusiasts and their contribution to the field. * Lizzie Dunford, Director, Jane Austen's House, UK *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Austen for Americans, and for the world: Oscar Fay Adams, critical editor and biographer Chapter 2: Canonizing “the giant Jane”: William Dean Howells, interpreter and advocate Chapter 3: Topaz crosses plus treasures of another kind: Charles Beecher Hogan, collector and keeper of reading journals Chapter 4: A labor of love and friendship: Alberta H. Burke, Averil G. Hassall, and the building of a transatlantic Austen archive Afterword: Jane Austen Anew Bibliography
£17.09
Oxford University Press Thomas Browne
Book SynopsisThis volume in the 21st Century Oxford Authors series offers students and readers an authoritative, comprehensive selection of the work of Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682). Accompanied by full scholarly apparatus, the edition demonstrates the breadth of the author of some of the most brilliant and delirious prose in English Literature. Lauded by writers ranging from Coleridge to Virginia Woolf, from Borges to W.G. Sebald, Browne''s distinct style and the musicality of his phrasing have long been seen as a pinnacle of early modern prose. However, it is Browne''s range of subject matter that makes him truly distinct. His writings include the hauntingly meditative Urn-Burial, and the elaborate The Garden of Cyrus, a work that borders on a madness of infinite pattern. Religio Medici, probably Browne''s most famous work, is at once autobiography, intricate religious-scientific paradox, and a monument of tolerance in the era of the English civil war. This volume also includes his Pseudodoxia EpTrade ReviewKilleen's edition is a heartily welcome single-volume Browne that gives us a generous vista of this most expansive writer. Its very generous annotations, in particular, will help introduce new readers and clarify his complex subtleties for specialists. * Claire Preston, Queen Mary University of London *Kevin Killeen's superb one-volume edition of Thomas Browne's major works provides students, scholars, and instructors with clear, lightly modernized texts and generous supporting glosses that enable and enrich access to the author's original voice, ideas, and learning without ever overwhelming or overburdening the reader. Killeen's literary and biographical introductions amply prepare us for the complex interplay between forms and genres exhibited throughout Browne's writings, and for the remarkable conjunction of natural philosophy, religion, antiquarianism, and classical scholarship represented by the author himself. * Matthew Woodcock, University of East Anglia *Kevin Killeen offers a generous selection of freshly edited texts richly contextualized in their bibliographical and cultural context. Teachers and scholars of Browne will welcome this much needed one-volume edition of this important seventeenth-century savant. * Brent Nelson, University of Saskatchewan *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of illustrations Introduction Notes on Text and Annotation Religio Medici (1643) Pseudodoxia Epidemica (1646) Hydriotaphia or Urn-Burial (1658) The Garden of Cyrus (1658) Certain Miscellany Tracts (1683) Letter to a Friend (1690) Christian Morals (1716) Notes
£20.99
Oxford University Press The New Oxford Shakespeare Modern Critical
Book SynopsisThe Complete Works: Modern Critical Edition is part of the landmark New Oxford Shakespeare--an entirely new consideration of all of Shakespeare''s works, edited afresh from all the surviving original versions of his work, and drawing on the latest literary, textual, and theatrical scholarship. In one attractive volume, the Modern Critical Edition gives today''s students and playgoers the very best resources they need to understand and enjoy all Shakespeare''s works. The authoritative text is accompanied by extensive explanatory and performance notes, and innovative introductory materials which lead the reader into exploring questions about interpretation, textual variants, literary criticism, and performance, for themselves.The Modern Critical Edition presents the plays and poetry in the order in which Shakespeare wrote them, so that readers can follow the development of his imagination, his engagement with a rapidly evolving culture and theatre, and his relationship to his literary contemporaries.The New Oxford Shakespeare consists of four interconnected publications: the Modern Critical Edition (with modern spelling), the Critical Reference Edition (with original spelling), a companion volume on Authorship, and an online version integrating all of this material on OUP''s high-powered scholarly editions platform. Together, they provide the perfect resource for the future of Shakespeare studies.Table of ContentsTHE COMPLETE WORKS
£44.80
Oxford University Press Memoirs of Emma Courtney
Book SynopsisFirst published in the turbulent decade following the French Revolution, Memoirs of Emma Courtney is based on Mary Hays'' own passionate struggle with romance and Enlightenment philosophy. A feminist and ardent disciple of Mary Wollstonecraft, Hays reveals the lamentable gap between `what women are'' and `what woment ought to be''. The novel is one of the most articulate and detailed expressions of the yearnings and frustrations of a woman living in late eighteenth-century English society. It questions marital arrangements and courtship rituals by depicting a woman who actively pursues the man she loves. The novel explores the links between sexuality, desire, and economic and social freedom, suggesting the need for improvement in the laws of society which `have enslaved, enervated, and degraded woman''. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitTrade Reviewthe editions deserve great credit for the enthusiasm of their approach ... The introductions by eminent scholars put the thoughts of the author and the history of the time into clear perspective. Oxford should be given credit for making the classics accessible for all rather than just crib notes for students. * Jonathan Copeland, Lincolnshire Echo *
£9.49
Oxford University Press The Oxford English Literary History
Book SynopsisThe Oxford English Literary History is the new century''s definitive account of a rich and diverse literary heritage that stretches back for a millennium and more. Each of these thirteen groundbreaking volumes offers a leading scholar''s considered assessment of the authors, works, cultural traditions, events, and ideas that shaped the literary voices of their age. The series will enlighten and inspire not only everyone studying, teaching, and researching in English Literature, but all serious readers. This volume surveys the rich English literary tradition, 1603-1660, in the context of the eventful decades between the accession of James I and the restoration of Charles II. The first Part describes the ''social rules of writing.'' Who could become a writer in the early seventeenth century? How could a literary career be pursued? How was literary work disseminated? And how did those practices change between 1603 and 1660? The second Part discusses the period''s most innovative and important literary genres including satiric city comedy, country house poetry, chorography, masque, tragedy, tragicomedy, religious poetry, epic, the poetry of love and friendship, and a variety of prose.
£35.00
Oxford University Press William Shakespeare
Book SynopsisIn this new offering from Stanley Wells, the pre-eminent Shakespearian scholar, comes a Very Short Introduction to the life and writings of the world''s greatest and best-known dramatists: William Shakespeare.Looking at his early life and education, Wells explores Shakespeare''s social and intellectual background and the literary traditions on which Shakespeare drew. Examining the theatres and theatrical profession of the time, he also considers how Shakespeare experienced this world, both as an actor and as a writer. Examining Shakespeare''s narrative poems, sonnets, and all of his plays, Wells outlines their sources, style, and originality over the course of Shakespeare''s career, to consider the fundamental impact his work has had for subsequent generations. Written with enthusiasm and flair by a scholar who has devoted a lifetime to the study of Shakespeare and his works, this is an engaging and authoritative introduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewWells approaches his subject matter with refreshing clarity and potent enthusiasm ... his convivial tone is one of this volume's great strengths. * English *an engaging and insightful guide which may inspire its readers to explore not only the author's life and works, but the wealth of contemporary Shakespearean manifestations. * English *So all in all I enjoyed this little book very much, and it made me want to go back to the plays themselves as well as to delve into some recent secondary works. If you think you might have failed to fully appreciate Shakespeare, whether owing to bad teaching or to less than first-rate performances, this is an excellent place to start exploring the life and work of probably the most celebrated dramatist not only in Britain but also throughout the world. * Shiny New Books, Harriet Devine *this is an excellent place to start exploring the life and work of probably the most celebrated dramatist not only in Britain but also throughout the world. * Shiny New Books *Table of ContentsPreface: Why Shakespeare? ; 1. Shakespeare and Stratford-upon-Avon ; 2. Theatre in Shakespeare's time ; 3. Shakespeare in London ; 4. Plays of the 1590s ; 5. Shakespeare and comic form ; 6. Return to tragedy ; 7. The classical plays ; 8. Tragi-comedy ; Epilogue ; Chronology: Shakespeare's works ; Further reading ; Index
£9.49
Oxford University Press The Marquis de Sade
Book SynopsisWere it not for the Marquis de Sade''s explicit use of language and complete disregard for the artificially constructed taboos of a religious morality he despised, the novelty and profundity of his thought, and above all, its fundamental modernity, would have long since secured him a place alongside the greatest authors and thinkers of the European Enlightenment. This Very Short Introduction aims to disentangle the ''real'' Marquis de Sade from his mythical and demonic reputation of the past two hundred years. Phillips examines Sade''s life and work: his libertine novels, his championing of atheism, and his uniqueness in bringing the body and sex back into philosophy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewA brisk and lively introductory book. * John Phillips, Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. Beyond the Myth: The real Marquis de Sade ; 2. Man of Letters ; 3. Martyr of Atheism ; 4. Sade and the French Revolution ; 5. Theatres of the Body ; 6. Apostle of Freedom ; References ; Further Reading
£9.49
Oxford University Press Shakespeares Comedies
Book SynopsisFrom The Two Gentlemen of Verona in the early 1590s to The Two Noble Kinsmen at the end of his career around 1614, Shakespeare wrote at least eighteen plays that can be called ''comedies'': a far higher number than that for any other genre in which he wrote. So what is a Shakespearean comedy? We associate these plays with such themes as mistaken identities, happy marriages, and exuberant cross dressing, but how representative are these of the oeuvre as a whole? In this Very Short Introduction, Bart van Es explores the full range of the playwright''s comic writing, from the neat classical plotting of early works like The Comedy of Errors to the corrupt world of the so-called problem plays, written in the middle years of Shakespeare''s life. Examining Shakespeare''s influences and sources, van Es compares his plays to those of his rivals, and looks at the history of the plays in performance, from the biographies of Shakespeare''s original actors to the plays'' endless reinvention in modern stage productions and in films. Identifying the key qualities that make Shakespearean comedy distinctive, van Es traces the changing nature of Shakespeare''s comic writing over the course of a career that spanned nearly a quarter century of theatrical change.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewAimed at a general readership, the slim volume is nonetheless carefully researched and full of original ideas and connections. * Kevin Curran, Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 *cover[s] an impressive amount of literary and historical ground, and convey[s] a suitably sizeable serving of Shakespeare knowledge. * Shakespeare Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; World ; Wit ; Love ; Time ; Character ; Endings ; Further Reading ; Index
£9.49
Oxford University Press Shakespeares Tragedies
Book SynopsisTragedy, including grief, pain and suffering, is a common theme in Shakespeare''s plays, often leading to the death of at least one character, if not several. Yet such themes can also be found in Shakespearian plays which are classed as comedies, or histories. What is it which makes a Shakespearian tragedy, and what dramatic themes and conventions did the bard draw upon when writing them?In this Very Short Introduction Stanley Wells considers what is meant by the word ''tragedy'', and discusses nine of Shakespeare''s iconic tragic plays. He explores how the early definitions and theoretical discussions of the concept of tragedy in Shakespeare''s time would have influenced these plays, along with the literary influence of Seneca. Wells also considers Shakespeare''s uses of the word ''tragedy'' itself, analysing whether he had any overall concept of the genre in relation to the drama, and looking at the ways in which the theatrical conventions of his time shaped his plays, such as the use of boy players in women''s roles and the physical structures of the playhouses. Offering a critical analysis of each of the nine plays in turn, Wells concludes by discussing why tragedy is regarded as fit subject for entertainment, and what it is about tragic plays that audiences find so enjoyable.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Review... probably never - against the backdrop of so much literary, and other noise, today - has there ever been a greater need for short summaries of such works in an attempt to reach new audiences. So, from King Lear, to Antony and Cleopatra to Macbeth and Hamlet, et. al, the rudiments of all ten tragedies are condensed into just half a dozen pocket-sized pages each. Probably not for the connoiseur but much more likely for reluctant newbies still mystified by all the fuss. * Screentrade Magazine *cover[s] an impressive amount of literary and historical ground, and convey[s] a suitably sizeable serving of Shakespeare knowledge. * Shakespeare Magazine *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; REFERENCES; FURTHER READING; INDEX
£9.49
Oxford University Press King John The Oxford Shakespeare
Book SynopsisKing John, a play that offers at least three fine acting roles and was once popular in the theatre, has been neglected in recent years. Its treatment of the death of Arthur, claimant to the throne, and the wit of the Bastard, son of Richard Coeur de Lion, make it particularly worthy of reconsideration. The wide-ranging introduction makes original claims for the play''s relevance to Elizabethan political issues and for its aesthetic importance in Shakespeare''s early career as a dramatist. This edition also offers a comprehensive stage history, a thorough bibliographical study of the Folio (1623) text, and a reconsideration of its disputed relationship with the anonymous Troublesome Reign of King John (1591). A.R. Braunmuller provides new information concerning King John''s early stage history, consideration of legal concepts and practices in the play, and a critical study of its presentation of women and of families.Trade Review`The Oxford Shakespeare is an admirably scholarly edition, immaculately presented, offering close attention to possibilities of staging as well as meaning.' Dr D. Sedge, Exeter University`This edition offers the most substantial & one of the most penetrating discussions of the play to date. A remarkable scholarly achievement.' Dr René J.A. Weis, Department of English, University College, London`a most impressive and illuminating edition' R. N. Alexander, Queen Mary Westfield, London`The major strength of Professor Braunmuller's edition is its introduction. He offers a sane review of such difficult questions as the date of the play, and such controversial ones as its relation to "The Troublesome Reign". The evidence is marshalled in a lucid manner and sensible conclusions drawn ... This is a significant contribution to the (now quickly developing) debate on "King John", and a good demonstration that investigations of Shakespeare as a political dramatist (as opposed to a moral sage) need not be critically reductive.' The Review of English Studies`By its 'conventionally ordered introduction' (p.1), A.R. Braunmuller's Oxford King John signals that it is, indeed what the dustjacket claims, 'the most thorough scholarly edition now available' ... his edition foregrounds technical material important to scholars over more general interests ... Braunmuller's approach to editing is as fair-minded and scholarly as his introduction ... the King John that sets out the issues most fully and fairly, the edition I want in my study, is Braunmuller's 'conventionally ordered', scholarly text.' Virginia Mason Vaughan, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, Yearbook of English Studies, 1992'Stanley Wells' OUP Complete Works of Shakespeare is now eight years old and has spawned a new Oxford Shakespeare which appears now in splendidly affordable volumes in that nonpareil of libraries of good reading The World's Classics.' The Oxford Times
£8.54
British Library Publishing Shakespeares Original Pronunciation Speeches and
Book SynopsisHow did Shakespeare sound to the audiences of his day? For the first time this disc offers listeners the chance to hear England's greatest playwright performed by a company of actors using the pronunciation of his time.Trade ReviewAn enthusiastic bunch of actors demonstrate how the Bard s sonnets, songs and various famous scenes from his plays would have sounded to Elizabethan audiences. Pronounce hour as a 16th-century actor would have, that is, to rhyme with whore, and listen to the double entendres multiply. Eng lit aficionados will love it. --Sue Arnold "Guardian "" "An enthusiastic bunch of actors demonstrate how the Bard's sonnets, songs and various famous scenes from his plays would have sounded to Elizabethan audiences. Pronounce 'hour' as a 16th-century actor would have, that is, to rhyme with 'whore, ' and listen to the double entendres multiply. Eng lit aficionados will love it." --Sue Arnold "Guardian "
£10.71
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Springboard Shakespeare A Midsummer Nights Dream
Book Synopsis A Midsummer Night''s Dream is one of Shakespeare''s most popular comedies. This accessible introduction offers a springboard into the play, taking a hands-on, performance-based approach, exploring the challenges and the rewards it presents to actors, audiences and students. Springboard Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night''s Dream has a three-part structure: whether you''re watching or reading, Ben Crystal takes you through exactly what you need to know Before, During and After the play. He combines a genuine passion and understanding of Shakespeare with his experience as an actor, giving the reader a clear route to thinking about, understanding and enjoying A Midsummer Night''s Dream.Trade ReviewHaving Crystal as a companion through the stickier parts of Hamlet and Macbeth is like going to the theatre with an intelligent friend. * The Independent *How different it might have been if we’d had Ben Crystal’s sparky little books to introduce us. My Shakespearean epiphany would have come much sooner...[the books] lead newcomers into the play in question in a gentle, upbeat, unpretentious way. Fresh and slim, they’re about as far as could be from dusty, dry study guides relating to school exams...much better than the average theatre programme...I’d like to see them on sale in theatre bookshops, and/or wherever there’s a production of one of these plays...I’d also recommend them for classroom use. -- Susan Elkin * The Independent on Sunday *A highly worthwhile series, which should prove to be valuable for directors, actors and students…This formula really works. As an experiment, your dedicated reviewer tried out Macbeth in preparation for and following on from the Eve Best production of the Globe. The experience was definitely improved, with some of the tips on words and language proving especially helpful and enlightening… These really are excellent little guides that will prove informative to almost anybody with an interest in the subject. -- Philip Fisher * British Theatre Guide *
£13.10
Oxford University Press Camilla
Book SynopsisFirst published in 1796, Camilla deals with the matrimonial concerns of a group of young people-Camilla Tyrold and her sisters, the daughters of a country parson, and their cousin Indiana Lynmere-and, in particular, with the love affair between Camilla herself and her eligible suitor, Edgar Mandlebert. The path of true love, however, is strewn with intrigue, contretemps and misunderstanding.An enormously popular eighteenth-century novel, Camilla is touched at many points by the advancing spirit of romanticism. As in Evelina, Fanny Burney weaves into her novel strands of light and dark, comic episodes and gothic shudders, and creates a pattern of social and moral dilemmas which emphasize and illuminate the gap between generations. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
£13.49
Oxford University Press Persian Letters
Book Synopsis''Oh! Monsieur is Persian? That''s most extraordinary! How can someone be Persian?''Two Persian travellers, Usbek and Rica, arrive in Paris just before the death of Louis XIV and in time to witness the hedonism and financial crash of the Regency. In their letters home they report on visits to the theatre and scientific societies, and observe the manners and flirtations of polite society, the structures of power and the hypocrisy of religion. Irony and bitter satire mark their comparison of East and West and their quest for understanding. Unsettling news from Persia concerning the female world of the harem intrudes on their new identities and provides a suspenseful plot of erotic jealousy and passion.This pioneering epistolary novel and work of travel-writing opened the world of the West to its oriental visitors and the Orient to its Western readers. This is the first English translation based on the original text, revealing this lively work as Montesquieu first intended. ABOUT THE SERI
£10.79
Reaktion Books Empire of Tea: The Asian Leaf that Conquered the
Book SynopsisTea has a rich and well-documented past. The beverage originated in Asia long before making its way to seventeenth-century London, where it became an exotic, highly sought-after commodity. Over the subsequent two centuries, tea’s powerful psychoactive properties seduced British society, becoming popular across the nation from castle to cottage. Now the world’s most popular drink, tea was one of the first truly global products to find a mass market, with tea drinking now stereotypically associated with British identity. The delicate flavour profile and hot preparation of tea inspired poets, artists and satirists. Tea was embroiled in controversy, from the gossip of the domestic tea table to the civil disorder occasioned by smuggling and the political scandal of the Boston Tea Party. Based on extensive original research, and now available in paperback, Empire of Tea provides a rich cultural history that explores how the British `way of tea’ became the norm across the Anglophone world.Trade Review`A stimulating and attractively illustrated history’ – History Today; `For those tempted to begin the tale of British tea-drinking with the Opium Wars, or with the establishment of Indian tea plantations, this book offers a richly textured history of the “empire” that preceded, and long outgrew, those events.’ – Times Literary Supplement
£16.20
Association for Scottish Literary Studies The International Companion to James Macpherson
Book SynopsisJames Macpherson''s "poems of Ossian", first published from 1760 as Fragments of Ancient Poetry, were the literary sensation of the age. Attacked by Samuel Johnson and others as "forgeries", nonetheless the poems enthralled readers around the world, attracting rapturous admiration from such figures as diverse as Goethe, Diderot, Jefferson, Bonaparte and Mendelssohn. This International Companion examines the social, political and philosophical context of the poems, their disputed origins, their impact on world literature, and the various critical afterlives of Macpherson and of "Ossian".
£22.46
Canongate Books Canongate Burns: The Complete Poems and Songs of
Book SynopsisA complete volume of the writer's poetry and songs includes previously unpublished pieces, draws on extensive scholarship and Burn's own letters, and offers supplemental information about his life, early hardships, political beliefs, and literary contexts.Trade ReviewA magnificent and definitive work of scholarship. A thousand pages long, it provides not only a glossary and a context for the poems, but also a textual and historical note for each poem and song. -- Colm Toibin * * The Independent * *A very fine edition, and the long introduction, which sets out to clear the tangled banks, is alone worth the cover price. -- Andrew O'Hagan * * The Scotsman * *Scholarly and comprehensive. * * Sunday Telegraph * *
£19.00
CONNELL PUBLISHING LTD Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Book SynopsisRomeo and Juliet is routinely called “the world’s greatest love story”, as though it is all about romance. The play features some of the most lyrical passages in all of drama, and the lovers are young, beautiful, and ardent. But when we look at the play, the lyricism and the romance are not really what drive things along. It is true that Romeo, especially early on in the play, acts like a young man determined to take his place in an immortal tale of love. Everything he says is romantic – but rather like an anniversary card is romantic. His words propel nothing, or nothing but sarcastic admonitions from his friends to forget about love and to treat women as they should be treated, with careless physical appetite. The world we have entered is rapacious more than romantic. Everyone knows something of this, from the film versions of the story if nothing else. Romeo and Juliet must fight for their love inside a culture of stupid hatreds. But it is not a simple case of love versus war, or the city against the couple. If it were, it would nicely reinforce clichés about true love, fighting against the odds. In this book Simon Palfrey suggests that the play Shakespeare actually wrote is more troubling than this. Juliet’s passion – for all her youth, for all its truth – is at the very cusp of murderousness. Juliet is the world’s scourge, in the sense that she will whip and punish and haunt it; she is also its triumph, in the sense of its best and truest thing. The deaths her love leads to are in no way avoidable, and in no way accidental. They are her inheritance, the thing she was born to. Of course she takes Romeo with her. But it is at heart her play.
£8.54
Oxford University Press Shakespeare Without a Life Oxford Wells
Book SynopsisFor almost two centuries, Shakespeare had no biography. Neither did his life have a timeline, and historians and archivists did not have the materials to make one. Does this mean that Shakespeare was not valued or understood until after 1800? This book focuses on a critical absence in the unfolding of Shakespeare's story.Trade Review[A] significant new contribution ...that push[es] the parameters of how we engage with the most revered writer in the English language...timely and erudite. * Lubaaba Al-Azami, History Today *As de Grazia's study demonstrates so compellingly, when life writing shifted from the anecdotal to the documentary, we lost something of our appreciation of Shakespeare as critics tried to force square pegs into round holes. * David McInnis, Australian Book Review *De Grazia's Shakespeare without a Life is unafraid of taking a bold stance .... Her subtle analyses highlight the differences between modern readers' obsession with biography and the lenses through which Shakespeare's contemporaries and immediate successors viewed him. * Willard Spiegelman, Wall Street Journal *Elegant ... what de Grazia does with familiar material is striking. * Emma Smith, Times Literary Supplement *This beautifully written book weaves together a set of absorbing stories which together produce a sharp-edged argument ... The final chapter on the Sonnets ...urges new ways of thinking about Shakespeare and his work... A pleasure to read and a book to rethink often. * Raphael Lyne, Review in English Studies *Table of Contents1: Shakespeare Without a Life 2: Shakespeare's Timeline 3: The Archive and its Discontents 4: Shakespeare's Dateless Sonnets
£23.75
Penguin Books Ltd Shakespeares Language
Book SynopsisThe true biography of Shakespeare - and the only one we really need to care about - is in the plays. Sir Frank Kermode, Britain''s most distinguished literary critic, has been thinking about them all his life. This book is a distillation of that lifetime''s thinking. The great English tragedies were all written in the first decade of the seventeenth century. They are often in language that is difficult to us, and must have been hard even for contemporaries. How and why did Shakespeare''s language develop as it did? Kermode argues that the resources of English underwent major change around 1600. The originality of Kermodes''s writing, and the intelligence of his discussion, make this book a landmark.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Clarissa
Book SynopsisOh thou savage-hearted monster! What work hast thou made in one guilty hour, for a whole age of repentance!Pressured by her unscrupulous family to marry a wealthy man she detests, the young Clarissa Harlowe is tricked into fleeing with the witty and debonair Robert Lovelace and places herself under his protection. Lovelace, however, proves himself to be an untrustworthy rake whose vague promises of marriage are accompanied by unwelcome and increasingly brutal sexual advances. And yet, Clarissa finds his charm alluring, her scrupulous sense of virtue tinged with unconfessed desire. Told through a complex series of interweaving letters, Clarissa is a richly ambiguous study of a fatally attracted couple and a work of astonishing power and immediacy. A huge success when it first appeared in 1747, and translated into French and German, it remains one of the greatest of all European novels.In his introduction, Angus Ross examines characterization, the epistTrade Review“Harrowing, unforgiving and extreme . . . A graphic study of the pathologies endemic to a culture that treats women as property. It’s also a passionate celebration of female friendship and of the written word—storytelling as means of power and transcendence.” —Jennifer Egan, Lit Hub
£21.25
Penguin Books Ltd Four Comedies
Book SynopsisWilliam Shakespeare (1564-1616) was born to John Shakespeare and mother Mary Arden some time in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote about 38 plays (the precise number is uncertain), a collection of sonnets and a variety of other poems.
£12.34
Penguin Books Ltd Nicholl C Lodger
Book SynopsisIn 1612 Shakespeare gave evidence at the Court of Requests in Westminster it is the only occasion his spoken words are recorded. The case seems routine a dispute over an unpaid marriage-dowry but it opens up an unexpected window into the dramatist's famously obscure life-story. Charles Nicholl applies a powerful biographical magnifying glass to this fascinating episode in Shakespeare's life. Marshalling evidence from a wide variety of sources, including previously unknown documentary material on the Mountjoys, he conjures up a detailed and compelling description of the circumstances in which Shakespeare lived and worked, and in which he wrote such plays as Othello, Measure for Measure and King Lear.
£11.69
Oxford University Press The Private Life of William Shakespeare
Book SynopsisBreathes new life into Shakespeare's story by establishing fresh interpretations of his baptism; evidence pertaining to his father; his wedding; his home; his will; and his monument.Trade Review...Orlin has made the simple point that there will always be novel discoveries to be found within the broader depths of Warwickshire archives. Hers is a methodology that should arm researchers when approaching any historical figure, and any archival record. * Francesca Rhodes, Midland History journal *Lena Cowen Orlin's The Private Life of William Shakespeare sets a new standard for literary biography. Comparing the key documents of Shakespeare's biography to a wide array of similar documents from Shakespeare's contemporaries, Cowen Orlin manages to separate what is fact and what is probable about the life of England's most influential writer from what is mere speculation. Employing the most rigorous archival methodologies, her book challenges the shibboleths that have accumulated around the religion of Shakespeare's parents, his early marriage to the older Anne Hathaway, his life as a property owner, his will, and his death and monument [...] Early modern scholars will likely be reading and re-reading this book decades from now, perhaps arguing over this or that detail, but Cowen Orlin's approach will remain uncontested - a new benchmark for the field. * Brian Lockey, on behalf of the Committee for the Roland Bainton Prize in Literature *After more than three hundred years of research on Shakespeare we are unlikely to find more documents relating to the monument, and the question of authorship may never be fully resolved. What could be done, however, is to conduct a full physical and technical examination, which would certainly help with questions of authenticity and alterations. This would involve dismantling the memorial and removing at least some of the later paintwork which now obscures its history. It would be an expensive process, requiring the services of fully qualified conservators, but it would surely not be beyond the resources of Shakespeare devotees around the world. Professor Orlin's highly valuable book would serve as inspiration for the project. * Adam White, Church Monuments *Lena Cowen Orlin examines a series of seminal moments in the writer's private life … [a] painstakingly detailed recontextualisation of evidence * David McInnis, Australian Book Review *The great and lasting result of her labors is how punishingly she demolishes shoddy claims and biased inferences that have distorted our understanding of Shakespeare's life....it reads like a detective story in which a skilled investigator returns to a cold case...detailed and dazzling...[an] impressive and valuable book, a biography that will lead many to revise their classroom lectures. * James Shapiro, New York Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction: 26 April 1564 1: 23 January 1577: Shakespeare's Father 2: 28 November 1582: Shakespeare's Wedding 3: 4 May 1597: Shakespeare's Home 4: 25 March 1616: Shakespeare's Will 5: 25 April 1616: Shakespeare's Monument List of Abbreviations Appendix I. Shakespeare in the West Midlands Appendix II. The Quiney Papers Appendix III. Shakespeare's Last Will Appendix IV. Shakespeare's Earlier Will Appendix V. The 'Shakespeare Type' of Funerary Monuments Appendix VI. Shakespeare Documented
£32.49
Oxford University Press The Rhetoric of Exemplarity in Early Modern
Book SynopsisIn this study, Michael Ullyot makes two new arguments about the rhetoric of exemplarity in late Elizabethan and Jacobean culture: first, that exemplarity is a recursive cycle driven by rhetoricians'' words and readers'' actions; and second, that positive moral examples are not replicable, but rather aspirational models of readers'' posthumous biographies. For example, Alexander the Great envied Achilles less for his exemplary life than for Homer''s account of it. Ullyot defines the three types of decorum on which exemplary rhetoric and imitation rely, and charts their operations through Philip Sidney''s poetics, Edmund Spenser''s poetry, and the dedications, sermons, elegies, biographies, and other occasional texts about Robert Devereux, second earl of Essex, and Henry, Prince of Wales. Ullyot expands the definition of occasional texts to include those that criticize their circumstances to demand better ones, and historicizes moral exemplarity in the contexts of sixteenth-century Prote
£76.00
Oxford University Press Why Modern Manuscripts Matter
Book SynopsisThis is a study of the politics, the commerce, and the aesthetics of heritage culture in the shape of authors'' manuscripts. Draft or working manuscripts survive in quantity from the eighteenth century when, with the rise of print, readers learnt to value ''the hand'' as an index of individuality and the blotted page, criss-crossed by deletion and revision, as a sign of genius. Since then, collectors have fought over manuscripts, libraries have curated them, the rich have stashed them away in investment portfolios, students have squeezed meaning from them, and we have all stared at them behind exhibition glass. Why do we trade them, conserve them, and covet them? Most, after all, are just the stuff left over after the novel or book of poetry goes into print. Poised on the boundary where precious treasure becomes abject waste, litter, and mess, modern literary manuscripts hover between riches and rubbish.In a series of case studies, this book explores manuscript''s expressive agency andTrade ReviewSutherland...amply shows the variety of ways in which manuscripts acquired new significance in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. * Rachael Scarborough King, Modern Philosophy *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Dealing with the Leftovers 2: Samuel Johnson and the Origins of Writing 3: 'this warm scribe my hand': The Autograph Craze 4: Nothing Wasted: Frances Burney's Fiction Manuscripts 5: Whose Property? Walter Scott's Manuscripts 6: Jane Austen Fragment Artist Afterword
£32.49
Oxford University Press Oxford Literature Companions Hamlet Hamlet Get
Book SynopsisEasy to use in the classroom or as a tool for revision, Oxford Literature Companions provide student-friendly analysis of a range of popular A Level set texts. Each book offers a lively, engaging approach to the text, covering characterisation and role, genre, context, language, themes, structure, performance and critical views, whilst also providing a range of varied and in-depth activities to deepen understanding and encourage close work wtih the text. Each book also includes a comprehensive Skills and Practice section, which provides detailed advice on assessment and a bank of exam-style questions and annotated sample student answers. This guide covers Hamlet by William Shakespeare, is suitable for all exam boards and for the most recent AS/A level specifications.
£12.28
Oxford University Press The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare
Book SynopsisThe Oxford Companion to Shakespeare is the most comprehensive reference work available on Shakespeare''s life, times, works, and his 400-year global legacy. In addition to the authoritative A-Z entries, it includes nearly 100 illustrations, a chronology, a guide to further reading, a thematic contents list, and special feature entries on each of Shakespeare''s works. Tying in with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare''s death, this much-loved Companion has been revised and updated, reflecting developments and discoveries made in recent years and to cover the performance, interpretation, and the influence of Shakespeare''s works up to the present day. First published in 2001, the online edition was revised in 2011, with updates to over 200 entries plus 16 new entries. These online updates appear in print for the first time in this second edition, along with a further 35,000 new and revised words. These include more than 80 new entries, ranging from important performers, directors, and sTrade ReviewThe Companion is a neatly prepared one-stop shop for a wealth of basic information about Shakespeare's works, then, and now. * Kevin Curran, Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 *Table of ContentsContents ; Foreword ; Preface to the 1st edition ; Preface to the 2nd edition ; Acknowledgements ; Contributors ; Thematic listing of entries ; List of plays ; Note to the reader ; The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare ; Map of British Isles and France in English Histories and Macbeth ; Family tree of the royal family in Shakespeare's English Histories ; Shakespeare's life, works, and reception: a partial chronology, 1564-1999 ; Further reading ; Picture acknowledgements
£35.99
Oxford University Press Great Shakespeare Actors
Book SynopsisGreat Shakespeare Actors provides a series of well-informed, well-written, illuminating, and entertaining accounts of many of the most famous stage performers of Shakespeare in both England and America, offering a concise, actor-centred history of Shakespeare on the stage.Trade ReviewWells's vignette reports will make you wish you had been there... Eye-witness accounts are good, and especially when they are by actors such as Helen Faucit in the 19th century and by such academics as Stanley Wells in the 20th century, are invaluable. * Robert Tanitch, Mature Times *Wells's book is a mentor and companion to the Shakespeare lover. It can be dipped into at leisure as each chapter is complete in itself, but the text is so diverting and compulsive, so utterly knowledgeable and incisive, that it is difficult to find an easy pause. It is a book to cherish, to laugh with and to wonder at. * Sandra Callard, On: Yorkshire Magazine *Aimed at a broad readership, the book offers short biographies of "great Shakespeare actors" from Shakespeare's time to our own ... the book will very likely prove a helpful and entertaining resource for many. * Kevin Curran, Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 *Great Shakespeare Actors is most impressive when quarrying the more remote past, and, although it is suitable for dipping into, reading it straight through conveys a sense of how acting styles and actors' careers have changed. * Henry Hitchings, Spectator *[A] fascinating book. * Benedict Nightingale, New Statesman *Stanley Wells has his work cut out in Great Shakespeare Actors as he assesses around forty performers over the past four centuries, from Richard Burbage to Simon Russell Beale, offering brisk career summaries with a dash of scholarship and plenty of anecdote ... There's no shortage of excellent stories. * David Collard, The Times Literary Supplement *... Wells' passion is infectious. * New Republic, Charles Shafaieh *This collection is not only a useful source in itself, but opens up many other routes into theatre commentary, both historical and contemporary. * Heather Neill, Around the Globe *What could easily have been a repetitive book, as a series of actors is connected to a limited number of distinguished roles, is so well written that this never becomes the case. The writing is assured and never flags in an unexpected volume that is well worth dipping into. * British Theatre Guide, Philip Fisher *There's so much more in this fascinating book that I haven't been able to cover, so I can only urge you, if this kind of thing interests you, to go out and get a copy soon. You won't regret it. * Shiny New Books, Harriet Devine *Stanley Wells has written a book which is a total delight... unputdownable. * The Journal (Newcastle), Richard Edmonds *There is deep research here, lightly worn but nevertheless offering clear pointers for those who wish to study individual performers more closely, and for the great majority of the book there is also an engaging tone * Lisa Hopkins, Sheffield Hallam University, Times Higher Education *a brisk, fascinating theatrical voyage through more than four centuries * The Independent, Nicholas De Jongh *There is deep research here, lightly worn Wells is judicious and restrained and has a dry, crisp style. * Times Higher Education, Lisa Hopkins *Stanley Wells - Shakespeare's brightest and best champion for decades - has produced an absolutely wonderful and wildly readable survey of Shakespearean acting. With tremendous flashes of insight, Wells illuminates not just the staging and the modes of acting that predominated over the centuries, but also the true nature of Shakespeare as a provider of play scripts for actors and audiences. Superbly researched, this is a book that I shall revisit time and time again. * Stephen Fry *This astonishing book fills a vital gap on the shelves. Stanley Wells combines the detailed knowledge of a Shakespeare scholar with the sharp eye of a dramatic critic in a book that makes great performances come resonantly alive. If future generations want to know what Olivier or Dench really were like in Shakespeare, it is to this book that they will turn. * Michael Billington *In his own day, and ever since, Shakespeare's plays have been staged by some of the worlds most extraordinary actors. Stanley Wells, who knows these plays and their fascinating histories as well as anyone, offers here incisive portraits of exceptional actors who have performed Shakespeare over the past 400 years, from Burbage and Kemp up through Olivier, Dench, McKellen, and Beale. It's a thrilling and captivating account. * James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare *Stanley Wells's Great Shakespeare Actors is a companionable tour through the encyclopaedic knowledge of our greatest Shakespeare scholar, full of anecdote, erudition, and intimate firsthand observation. It's a tribute to a life of devotion to the theatre, on the page and on stage, informed by a living sense of what actors do, and who they are, and how they work. There are many classic lives here, but also, to me, some enjoyable surprises. * Margaret Drabble *a highly enjoyable book, clearly and pungently written. ... it will be of great help to the general reader, to Shakespeare students and to theatre historians alike as it allows us to reflect on the very essence of theatre * Sophie Chiari, Cercles *As well as drawing effectively on significant written accounts by actors and critics, Wells is particularly persuasive in analyses of visual and aural evidence * Russell Jackson, The Year's Contribution to Shakespeare Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction Prelude: William Shakespeare 1: Richard Burbage 2: Will Kemp 3: Robert Armin 4: Thomas Betterton 5: Charles Macklin 6: David Garrick Who Was the First Great Shakespeare Actress? 7: Sarah Siddons 8: George Frederick Cooke 9: John Philip Kemble 10: Dora Jordan 11: Edmund Kean 12: William Charles Macready 13: Helen Faucit Who Was the First Great American Shakespeare Actor? 14: Ira Aldridge 15: Charlotte Cushman 16: Edwin Booth 17: Henry Irving 18: Ellen Terry 19: Tommaso Salvini Times of Change 20: Edith Evans 21: Sybil Thorndike 22: Charles Laughton 23: Donald Wolfit 24: Ralph Richardson 25: John Gielgud 26: Laurence Olivier 27: Peggy Ashcroft 28: Michael Redgrave 29: Paul Scofield 30: Donald Sinden 31: Richard Pasco 32: Ian Richardson 33: Judi Dench 34: Derek Jacobi 35: Ian McKellen 36: Janet Suzman 37: Antony Sher 38: Simon Russell Beale 39: Kenneth Branagh
£12.59
Oxford University Press Shakespeares First Folio
Book SynopsisThis is a biography of a book: the first collected edition of Shakespeare''s plays printed in 1623 and known as the First Folio. It begins with the story of its first purchaser in London in December 1623, and goes on to explore the ways people have interacted with this iconic book over the four hundred years of its history. Throughout the stress is on what we can learn from individual copies now spread around the world about their eventful lives. From ink blots to pet paws, from annotations to wineglass rings, First Folios teem with evidence of their place in different contexts with different priorities. This study offers new ways to understand Shakespeare''s reception and the history of the book. Unlike previous scholarly investigations of the First Folio, it is not concerned with the discussions of how the book came into being, the provenance of its texts, or the technicalities of its production. Instead, it reanimates, in narrative style, the histories of this book, paying close attTrade ReviewA fascinating and provocative book. * Daniel Swift, Spectator *Delightful. * Jerry Brotton, The Daily Telegraph *Her diligence in considering every aspect of the Folio's material existence is commendable. * Brian Vickers, Times Literary Supplement *This is a beautifully judged book about books, impeccably researched yet wry and affectionate. * Jerry Brotton, Financial Times *Smith's account of the Folio's distinguished career is very nicely written and consistently entertaining and informative... It is the modern equivalent of a magic book, and Smith's own book does justice to that magic. * Times Higher Education *Emma Smith's book comes as a welcome corrective to the fascination with Shakespeare the man ... as it is the "biography" of something far more interesting: a book. * Stuart Kelly, Independent *I've been looking forward to Emma Smith's Shakespeare's First Folio ever since I heard her give a paper that asked, "can you actually read the First Folio?" It's that sort of arresting question that wouldn't occur to many other people that makes her scholarship so inventive and absorbing. * Jem Bloomfield, Times Higher Education, Summer Reads 2016 *A charming, enlightening account, not so much of the origins, as of the fortunes over the years subsequently, of the great edition. * David Sexton, Evening Standard *Smith is one of the cleverest scholars around, but her academic weight is balanced with an accessible tone and wry humour. * Bristol Magazine *A marvelous bit of scholarship. Detailed without being dry, playful without being silly, it's a well-researched, thoroughly balanced account of this 'iconic book.' * The Oxford Culture Review *The book is well illustrated, and Smith writes with great style. * Ben Higgins, Review of English Studies *... offers a wealth of important information, fascinating episodes, and sophisticated critical insight. It will, therefore, be of great interest to a variety of scholars in different disciplines, with literary critics, cultural historians, and scholars of book history foremost among them. * José María Pérez Fernández, Bulletin of the Comediantes *[A] compassionate biography... a wonderful testimony to the 'worlds most expensive book' and the readers who keep it that way. * Charlotte Scott, Shakespeare Survey *This book is a very good read, a largely anecdotal but always entertaining account of copies of the Shakespeare First Folio from their production in 1623 to the present ... the pleasure and instruction this book will bring to the casual bibliophile or the Shakespeare enthusiast. * Alan H. Nelson, Renaissance Quarterly *Smith's second book, Shakespeare's First Folio: Four Centuries of an Iconic Book, picks up where The Making of Shakespeare's First Folio leaves off, tracing different ways of interacting with the Folio owning, reading, forging, acting, collecting, and studying from the seventeenth century to our own time, and from Europe and America to Africa and Asia. * Kevin Curran, Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 ***** * Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph *A handsome tome, self-consciously relishing its book-self, while chronicling the fetishising of another. A fascinating read for any Shakespeare nerd. * Katy Hayes, Irish Independent *Impressively learned ... [an] excellent book. * Michael Dirda, Washington Post *[Smith] reanimates, in narrative style, the histories of this book, paying close attention to the details of individual copies now located around the world. * Richard Lofthouse, QUAD *In Shakespeare's First Folio, Emma Smith, a little over-cautiously, comments that "to collect may always be to sacralize". Yet no other literary book is treated with quite the same religiosity as the First Folio. * Peter Holland, TLS *[A] magnificent and thoroughly enjoyable account of the changes in the [First Folio's] fortunes. * Peter Holland, Times Literary Supplement *Smith's study is a trove of such accidents and contingencies, many belonging to the decades-indeed, more than a century-before the First Folio became an importantly old book, when it was simply an aging one. * Catherine Nicholson, New York Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Sir Edward Dering goes shopping 1: Owning 2: Reading 3: Decoding 4: Performing 5: Perfecting Conclusion Bibliography Index
£11.69
Oxford University Press The Oxford Handbook of Early Modern Womens
Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of Early Modern Women''s Writing in English, 1540-1700 brings together new work by scholars across the globe, from some of the founding figures in early modern women''s writing to those early in their careers and defining the field now. It investigates how and where women gained access to education, how they developed their literary voice through varied genres including poetry, drama, and letters, and how women cultivated domestic and technical forms of knowledge from recipes and needlework to medicines and secret codes. Chapters investigate the ways in which women''s writing was an integral part of the intellectual culture of the period, engaging with male writers and traditions, while also revealing the ways in which women''s lives and writings were often distinctly different, from women prophetesses to queens, widows, and servants. It explores the intersections of women writing in English with those writing in French, Spanish, Latin, and Greek, in Europe and in New England, and argues for an archipelagic understanding of women''s writing in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and England. Finally, it reflects on--and challenges--the methodologies which have developed in, and with, the field: book and manuscript history, editing, digital analysis, premodern critical race studies, network theory, queer theory, and feminist theory. The Oxford Handbook of Early Modern Women''s Writing in English, 1540-1700 captures the most innovative work on early modern women''s writing in English at present.Trade ReviewThis handbook offers a thorough overview of scholarly work on women's writing from 1540 to 1700. Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. * Choice *
£157.50
Oxford University Press Shakespeare and the Law
Book Synopsis
£16.99
Oxford University Press Henry VI Part One The Oxford Shakespeare
Book SynopsisThe Oxford ShakespeareGeneral Editor: Stanley WellsThe Oxford Shakespeare offers authoritative texts from leading scholars in editions designed to interpret and illuminate the plays for modern readers- a new, modern-spelling text, collated and edited from all existing printings- On-page commentary and notes explain meaning, staging, language, and allusions- Detailed introduction considers the first performance in 1592 in relation to the 1623 folio, structure, theatrical history, and the role of women in the play- Illustrated with production photographs and related art- Full index to introduction and commentary- Durable sewn binding for lasting use''not simply a better text but a new conception of Shakespeare. This is a major achievement of twentieth-century scholarship.'' ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the
£11.52
Oxford University Press Henry VI Part Three The Oxford Shakespeare
Book SynopsisThis new edition is based on the 1623 First Folio text and challenges conventional thinking about the nature and relationship of the earliest texts. It contributes substantial new evidence about Shakespeare's revision of the plays and the introduction and commentary focus on stage-oriented discussions of the play's meaning and reception.
£7.59
The University of Chicago Press Shakespeares Freedom
Book SynopsisShakespeare lived in a world of absolutes - the absolute authority claimed for God over the world, for the holy scriptures over the faithful, monarchs over subjects, fathers over wives and children, men over women. This book shows that Shakespeare was averse to such absolute claims and constantly probed the possibility of freedom from them.Trade Review"Stephen Greenblatt is one of America's most elegant and inventive literary critics. He writes with panache as he spins intriguing yarns from surprising materials. He has a gift as a reader of Shakespeare for noticing details that others have tended to overlook and using them as a prism to refract the plays in new ways." (New Statesman) "It is good, at a time when there is danger of seeing Shakespeare too exclusively as an entertainer, to find an acknowledgement of the intellectual powers that pervade his work, and Greenblatt brings his formidable critical expertise to bear on the writings in this deeply thoughtful study." (Times Literary Supplement) "In this short collection of essays, Stephen Greenblatt's analysis of both Shakespeare and the Renaissance is informative and often original. He argues that Shakespeare's genius lay in embracing and subverting the norms of his age.... Yet, the book's real lesson is Shakespeare's awareness of the human condition in all its complexity." (Financial Times)"
£14.00
Yale University Press Shakespeare the Thinker
Book SynopsisPresents a study of Shakespeare's intellectual preoccupations. This book offers guidance to Shakespeare's plays and sheds light on questions that engrossed Shakespeare from his early plays to the late romances: the nature of motive, cause, personal identity and relation, the proper status of imagination, and ethics and subjectivity.Trade Review"'The delight of Nuttall's book springs not just from the incisiveness of his ideas but from the deftness with which he unfolds scenes and speeches. It is like walking through the countryside with someone who recognises every bird's song and each wild flower.' John Carey, The Sunday Times 'Shakespeare was above all interested in the process of making sense of life... A.D. Nuttall's Shakespeare the Thinker is a marvellously wise and humane account of that mind at work. Always highly intelligent and effortlessly readable, it is a book that draws a firm line under the age of 'theory' in Shakespeare studies.' Jonathan Bate, The Sunday Telegraph '... wonderfully incisive and unstuffy look at the Bard's ideas.' The Sunday Times 'A.D. Nuttall is an attentive, intelligent, common-sense reader of the plays. He has a good ear and a subtle mind, and delights in words and the placement of words.' A.S. Byatt, The Guardian"
£14.99
