The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare: The Complete Works Annotated [Hardcover]

William Shakespeare (Author), Howard Staunton (Editor), Sir John Gilbert (Illustrator), Ray Abel (Illustrator), The Brothers Dalziel (Illustrator), Solomon J. Scheps (Foreword), Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Contributor), Samuel Johnson (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 3, 1998

The complete theatrical works of the immortal Bard, uniquely supplemented with annotations and critical analysis by a host of eminent scholars, including Samuel Coleridge and Samuel Johnson, plus a biography of Shakespeare himself. For the collection of the Shakespeare enthusiast, and the edification of the Shakespeare novice.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 2400 pages
• Publisher: Gramercy Books; Annotated edition (August 3, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517205963
• ISBN-13: 978-0517205969
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 3.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #794,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Neither "The Globe" nor "Shakespeare" belong on this edition, April 11, 2003

By 

richardpinneau.com (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare: The Complete Works Annotated (Hardcover)

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. [Publisher 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".] 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 [ e.g., those published by Arden/Routledge, Oxford, Addison-Wesley (ed.: David Bevington), Penguin ].
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 ).

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I love Shakespeare... but this edition?, March 2, 2004

By 

Yvonne Berthold (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare: The Complete Works Annotated (Hardcover)

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.

30 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Cover. But..., April 27, 2003

By 

"shakesfan" (U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare: The Complete Works Annotated (Hardcover)

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!