Northrop Frye on Shakespeare (Paperback)

~ (Author) "When the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays was published in 1623, it included some prefatory material, including a poem by Ben Jonson..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Winter's Tale, Midsummer Night's Dream, Poor Tom (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

With his latest book, Frye continues to solidify his reputation as one of the most important literary theorists and critics of the 20th century. By concentrating on a handful of Shakespeare's plays, Frye can elaborate on the theory, developed in his groundbreaking study Anatomy of Criticism , that all literature reenacts ancient myths and rituals that, though outside consciousness, still exert a powerful influence on our perception. Because Shakespeare manipulates these instinctual perceptions, he can speak to us as a voice at once in the past and the present, "not of an age, but for all time." Frye's work is completely accessible, its style crisp and engaging. Most of all, it is full of basic "good sense" about our most abused literary figure. Highly rewarding, and recommended for interested readers at all levels. James Stephenson, George Washington Univ. Lib., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

Winner of the 1986 Governor General's Award --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 186 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (September 10, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300042086
• ISBN-13: 978-0300042085
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #675,951 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent guide to Shakespeare, April 20, 2002

By	Pen Name? "fluxus" (Pittsburgh, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This is the book that opened Shakespeare up to me. In a college Shakespeare class, which I came into with a strong anti-Shakespeare bias, I found myself confused with the language, bored and indifferent with the stories and frustrated. So, I went out and picked up this book (I had read Frye's the Archetypes of Literature) and it immediately changed my outlook on the old bard. I soon noticed that much of what my professor was lecturing in class was taken from Frye's work. I had discovered the secret. This is a very readable, interesting and witty look into many of the Shakespearean plays. Frye is quite unusual for a literary critic, he's fun to read.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Your Typical Frye, September 10, 2001

By	David W. Riemer (Granada Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Frye's essays on Shakespeare are distinguished by their accessibility. In "The Anatomy of Criticism" and "Fearful Symmetry" as well as other, more scholarly work, Frye demonstrates his profound insights into literature generally in the former and Blake's work in the latter. In both works, the reader is expected to have significant background in literary studies.
"Northrop Frye on Shakespeare" is targeted for the general reader. Frye's commentary helps any reader understand the Bard, but it does so in a more accessible style than any other work I have read by Frye. Ideally suited for the high school student or the college undergraduate, Frye's essays provide excellent entry points into many of Shakespeare's plays for the student who wishes to delve further into these essential works. Not exhaustive like Bloom's "Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human," or scholarly and advanced like Cavell's "Disowning Knowledge," Frye's work invites the reader to ponder some key points and formulate her own ideas.
This collection of essays complements the other works mentioned in this review. As an introductory set of essays on Shakespeare, it is without peer.

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, November 21, 2009

By	Robert Graden "Idiot Savant" (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I looked all through the chapters on the comedies, particularly _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, and could find no reference to his famous "Green World." There were casual allusions to a "wood-world," but I knew that wasn't it. I felt misled. SO, if you're looking for the source of his Green World idea, this is not the book.