The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard [Paperback]

Norrie Epstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1994

This lively reference book will delight anyone who's ever shuddered at a soliloquy or nodded off at the moment an actor said "doth." Crammed full of solid--but never simplistic--information, this browsing compendium includes the major plays, along with illustrations, sidebars, and photos that make learning about Shakespeare fun.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Written for those whose introduction to William Shakespeare was marred by an ineffectual high school English teacher, this sprightly guide to the life and work of the writer considered to be the foremost dramatist and poet of the Western world will delight fans as well as novices. With disarming humor and total lack of academic pretension, University of California lecturer Epstein decodes the language, plot and history of Shakespeare's major works, as well as the controversies that have surrounded his authorship and sexual identity. Drawing on interviews with actors, critics and Shakespearean experts, Epstein mixes interpretation and criticism with a wealth of detail about the Bard's life and the world of Elizabethan theater in which he worked. A browsing compendium that will educate and entertain students, teachers, actors and theatergoers. Illustrations not seen by PW. BOMC selection.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

It is easier to say who is not Epstein's (literature, Univ. of California) intended audience than whom she intends her audience to be. Academics and Bardolators will pass, but would novices of Shakespeare want to read such a book? Still, novices who chance upon this work will find much to amuse: notes on theater and staging, authorship, characters, and actors; a glossary of Elizabethan sexual slang; a chapter entitled "Why Is Shakespeare Boring?"; observations (not really synopses or critiques) on many of the plays and poems; some interviews, including one with noted scholar Jan Kott and outspoken Oxfordian Charlton Ogburn; and even a page on Peter Brook's notorious Titus Andronicus of 1955. Enthusiastically dished up, this is more a book to be dipped into than read, but it will provide fun for those to whom it will appeal and maybe tote up some cultural literacy points for them as well. Primarily for public libraries.
- Robert E. Brown, Onondaga Cty. P.L., Syracuse, N.Y.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 550 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140138862
• ISBN-13: 978-0140138863
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect guide for the beginner, December 14, 2003

By 

SPM "scott_maykrantz" (Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard (Paperback)

I can't imagine a better guide to Shakespeare than this. It's like a "for dummies" book, but better. The author covers just about everything, but she never bores you. In fact, I could hardly put this book down.

After a very lively introduction (about Shakespeare's life and the Globe theater), the author lists the plays in the order in which they were written. She divides them into four groups: the romantic comedies, the historical plays, the tragedies, and the romances. Then she tackles each of the four groups, writing about some of the plays. She tells you why the play is famous, she covers key characters (like Falstaff), and she explains the controversies that surround some of them. (For example, the charge of anti-Semitism about Merchant of Venice.) She makes a point of not covering every play --- if she covered them all, the reader would eventually lose interest.

Instead of getting bored, you are starved for more. The book is packed with trivia and intelligent observations. The author isn't shy about the sex and violence in the plays, either, which keeps things interesting. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an overview of Shakespeare's work. If you don't know about his plays, you probably want to, but you need a guide that was written specifically for you. This is the book.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Lady Hath Written A Most Excellent Book, Methinks!!, November 1, 2003

By 

Stephen Pletko "Uncle Stevie" (London, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard (Paperback)

+++++

This book's preface instructs, "Don't feel compelled to read this book from cover to cover" since it's meant for reading at a relaxed pace. Guess what? I DID read it from cover to cover!!

Why did I do this? Here are my reasons:

(1) THE AUTHOR'S WRITING STYLE. The author, Norrie Epstein, writes in a relaxed and leisurely but enthusiastic way making a somewhat difficult subject easy and enjoyable to read. She writes for the intelligent, common reader who's tired of technical, academic (and patronizing!!) jargon.

(2) THE BOOK'S ORGANIZATION. The book progresses logically with general comments on the works of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) to discussing the man himself to looking at the Elizabethan stage and then lastly discussing the plays. There is also a discussion of the Shakespearean sonnets. Finally, there is a fascinating end-discussion on the spin-offs that have resulted from Shakespeare's works (for example, music and films).

(3) DISCUSSION OF PLAYS. Not only are the popular ones discussed but the more obscure plays are also given attention. The plays discussed are as follows: eight romantic comedies, eight histories, one "problem" play, seven tragedies, and one tragicomic romance. All discussions are EASY to follow. And don't worry. There are NO boring plot summaries of the plays to read.

For many of the plays, there is a "What to Look For In" section. These informative sections highlight what is particularly significant in a play. As well, a major Shakespearean character of a particular play may be highlighted and given more detailed attention. For example, there are good, solid discussions of Shylock and Falstaff.

(4) ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. These are peppered throughout the book. I especially liked the black-and-white photo of Patrick Stewart ("Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the starship Enterprise") dressed up as Shylock.

(5) SIDEBARS. These also occur throughout the book. They highlight interesting bits of information that the author wants to bring to the reader's attention. One of my favorite sidebars is an open letter a critic of the 1600s wrote to Shakespeare entitled "As I Don't Like It." He commented on why he didn't like the play "As You Like It" (one of the Bard's best plays).

(6) INTERVIEWS. These are scattered throughout the book. The author interviews people (such as actors) who have a passion for Shakespeare. Notable interviews are with Kenneth Branagh and Ted Lange (of "Love Boat" fame).

(7) TRIVIA. And lots of it!! This Shakespearean trivia occurs throughout the book. For example, what does Shakespeare's epitaph say? Or, what Shakespearean character was Orson Welles' life ambition to play?

Finally, the big question: who is this book written for? Answer: for both novices and Shakespearean scholars--in short, everybody who is interested in the Bard.

I must confess that I thought I knew a lot about Shakespeare and his works. Was I wrong!! This book opened my eyes to how much I did not know.

In conclusion, after you read this book, you'll probably be like me and say, "What a piece of work was this man William Shakespeare!"

+++++

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "More Sinned Against than Sinning", June 18, 2000

By 

richard_t "richard_t" (Overseas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard (Paperback)

"Shakespeare is very good in spite of all the people who say he is very good": Epstein thus quotes Robert Graves in her preface and notes that she wrote the book for people who are not familiar or comfortable with Shakespeare. Fortunately, this companion is delightful for longtime fans as well. Epstein discusses twenty-three of Shakespeare's thirty-six plays (unaccountably skipping `Julius Caesar' because, she says, "I don't like it and felt it was time to give the play a rest". She offers the most insights into the best-known tragedies (35 pp. on Hamlet, 24pp. on `Othello', and useful thoughts on the difficult `Tempest'), and discusses film adaptations, actors, the cult of Shakespeare, puns, sex, and the Elizabethan era. In short, she provides wonderful, readable color to enhance plays that many have read over and over and others have avoided all their lives. Divided into a series of accessible articles of a few pages each, the book need not be read in any particular order. Thumb through and you'll find something to catch your fancy. Thumb through again tomorrow, and you'll find something else. Epstein is a great place to start before seeing or reading a play, and if you don't have tickets for a nearby production, reading this book will induce you to fall in love with Shakespeare or remind you why you fell in love the first time.