Customer Reviews

King Lear (Cliffs Complete)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really think this version is clear and useful to students discovering Lear for the first time. For advanced Lear information, one would be wise to look elsewhere.

Came in fast, and a really great price. I really needed this desperately, and I ended up getting it. Thank You!

We are currently using this book in my AP English class. The commentary that follows each scene is very helpful in analyzing the sometimes confusing language of Shakespeare. Also, there is a lot of extra room for writing and annotating King Lear. For anyone in need of a copy of King Lear, and plans on writing in it while you are reading, I strongly recommend this Cliff's Complete version of King Lear.

I find Shakespeare very difficult and "Cliff's Complete" is a tremendous help!! Cliff's Complete should be available for all of Shakespeare and not just a few plays. Amazingly, it is the only such guide that I've found. It astounds me that it stands so alone when so many students and readers have so much difficulty with Shakespeare.

The introducton material is good re Shakespeare and Elizabethean England.

The Character Map is good, but it isn't as clear as it could be. It lacks a complete list of characters, and some minor characters are left out and appear out of the blue. An entire introductory section on characters should be considered. Descriptions about the characters, their roles, relationships and meanings would also be helpful to someone like me.

The brief introduction to each scene is excellent and very helpful.

The Commentaries are excellent and very helpful. I've used Cliff's Complete before, and choose to read the Commentary before each Scene instead of after. That might be suggested to the reader in a short guide.

The running notes could and should be done better. The numbered line references for the running notes are very helpful. It would be even more helpful if an italic or something like an asterisk for the noted item referred to the note even more directly. Many more such notes would also be more helpful given the very difficult language and terms, and the reader could choose whether or not to bother with more such notes. Also, notes of more importance could be done in a bolder type. Running the notes along the side of the script is excellent and makes reference easier and more seamless than at the bottom of the page or at the end. Unfortunately, the notes are on a light blue background and in small blue typeset both of which make it harder to read for an old guy like me.

Despite these comments, this is an indespensible help as I prepare to see a performance. Thank you, Wiley Publishing and the authors and editors!

Victor Ostrower