Customer Reviews

The Sonnets (Shakespeare, Pelican)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a nice edition, worthy of gift-giving. There is only one Sonnet per page, so you can choose one and bookmark it for a friend. The paper is quality and the binding and overall look is very good.

This edition of the sonnets is one of the most important and the description on Amazon is misleading - It is actually both volumes 24 and 25 bound together so you get the complete set It's hard to find this book so it is a great find in this version

William Shakespeare is best known as a playwright. When you think of Shakespeare, you automatically think of plays -- "Romeo and Juliet," "Macbeth," "Hamlet," etc.

But he was also a poet of considerable skill. And while he sprinkled his various plays with poetry and songs, his poems are best appreciated when they're read all by themselves -- particularly the cluster of brilliant "Sonnets" that he penned. These works just have a unique, hauntingly vivid flavour of their own.

Each sonnet has no title, and is simply identified by numbers. And while Shakespeare's love poems are the best known of these works, he addresses different themes in theme -- old age, writer's block loneliness, the cruelty of the world, sex, beauty, a mysterious rival poet, and Shakespeare's own complicated romantic feelings (love that "looks upon tempests and is not shaken").

And these poems are absolutely lovely. Some of these sonnets are pretty well-known ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?/Thou art more lovely and more temperate") but most of them are a little more obscure. They have vivid metaphors and imagery ("let not winter's ragged hand deface," "gold candles fix'd in heaven's air") and hauntingly lovely passages ("What is your substance, whereof are you made,/That millions of strange shadows on you tend?").

And these sonnets really give you new insights into Shakespeare as a person -- he feels uncertainty, passionate love, unhappiness, lust and quirky humor. But while it's obvious these sonnets were deeply personal, they can still be appreciated on their own, particularly as love poetry.

William Shakespeare's "Sonnets" are rich with meaning, language and atmosphere -- the Elizabethan English takes a little deciphering, but it's well worth it.

I love Shakespeare's sonnets, but that's not what I'm reviewing--I'm reviewing this particular edition of the sonnets. I received it as a gift and, since it was the only copy I had of the sonnets available to me for some time, I looked forward to reading some old favorites.

Much to my chagrin, I couldn't locate any of the sonnets I had made it a point to remember. At last, in an act of desperation, I turned to the preface and found that the editor had renumbered the entire collection according to their probable chronological sequence--meaning the order familiar to nearly everyone has been turned on its head.

Oh, but for convenience's sake, they did put the traditional numbers of the sonnets in Roman numerals and brackets at the bottom of each, which doesn't really help at all. It became bothersome and tiring to seek out even one of the sonnets I enjoyed so much.

The thing that earned this book three stars, though, rather than one or two, is the artwork of Charles Robinson. Even if the numbering of the sonnets is a huge bother, the illustrations are infinitely nice to look at. They have a turn of the century feel which is well-suited to Shakespeare's poems.

This is a nice edition to have for the artwork, or if you can't find another edition (such as the excellent Pelican Shakespeare copy from Penguin). Otherwise, find one that sticks to the usual numbering sequence or has an index of first lines, which this lacks.

Shakespeare's collection of sonnets is so much a part of the western cultural heritage that reviewing it is kind of like taking coals to Newcastle, but it is worth a few words. First, however, a note about this edition: it is exactly what I wanted, with a few unobstructive footnotes at the bottom of each page, an index of first lines, and two critical introductions, one offering up historical context, the other more interpretative. They enhance your reading, they do not do it for you.

Now, why you want to read this collection. Most of us come to the sonnets singly: random reading assignments, in mixed anthologies, or one is quoted provocatively some place. With few exceptions, each is a perfect example of what the sonnet form does and how form itself shapes meaning. But read straight through consecutively, they offer a close-to-the-bone narrative of Shakespeare's preoccupations. This is the source of all that speculation about his sexual preferences. We've all heard lots of opinions on the bard's relationship with the "Young Man" and the "Dark Lady" but there is nothing like getting it first hand, and I must say that my ideas changed after sorting through for myself. For one thing, love--platonic or carnal--is not the only thing on his mind. Immortality, beauty, truth and a few other problems get a work out. The most pleasant surprise is how truly readable and accessible it all is.

This is in reference to the CD (audiobook) Sonnets read by John Gielgud. Just received my copy and was pleasently surprised that the remastered 60's recording is remarkably clear. Gielgud was one of the greatest actor/directors of Shakespeare, and to listen to him read the sonnets "...trippingly on the tongue...", (Hamlet,act 3, sc. 2.) is nothing short of historical.

Listen to them at night or on a rainy day, or just follow along with a hardcopy of the Sonnets in your hand. You'll be reciting them in short order.

This is a review of the 2011 edition of Shakespeare's Sonnets published by the Royal Shakespeare Company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon.

This pocket-sized soft-cover volume is beautifully produced on quality paper and the ideal small gift. The 154 sonnets are offered one-per-page which allows focussed reading free of distraction.

The striking cover image of the heart of a red rose is perfect for the subject matter. There is a 9-page foreword penned by Fiona Shaw, followed by a 7-page introduction by Jonathan Bate, and then it's straight into the sonnets.

The only issue for some readers might be that the numbering sequence differs from that used traditionally because the compilers (Bate and Rasmussen) have attempted to apply the results of academic research to place the sonnets in the chronological order as they are now thought to have been written. Since there is no index of first lines, finding your favourites is difficult initially, as you have to read through them all to find out which number has been allocated to it. However you soon become familiar with the sequencing and you can enjoy these timeless gems exploring the heart of human experience as Shakespeare discourses on love, obsession, life and death, ageing and the way our experiences with relationships (two in particular in Shakespeare's case are explored) affect us.

This fine edition is a snip at the price and if you don't have a copy of the sonnets, this would be a good choice to buy.

Shakespeare's amazing Sonnets are compiled here in this wonderful volume, a great addition to anyone's bookshelf. If you love Shakespeare, then this is a must-have book.

It was good. I could feel Shakespeare's authorial talent from this book.