OT - The Shakespeare Thread

Quite a few topics have recently led to a combination of on and off topics about Shakespeare’s works. It is no surprise of course that we have discussed Shakespeare many times, and therefore I thought it might be helpful if I brought together links to some of the key Shakespeare discussions into one place for reference, as it may be useful to members with Shakespeare questions who were not around for earlier discussions. I won’t even attempt to link to all of the discussions about Shakespeare as there are so many, but just a few of the key ones that seem to relate to recurring questions and/or which discuss interesting editions.

At the same time, as many of the discussions are about the relative merits of different editions, I thought it might be useful to have a place to post some pictures of any interesting editions we are discussing. As some of you will know, this is a topic of particular interest to me, so am happy to start the ball rolling, but would love for others to add to the list any other interesting editions (personally I am always on the look out for more!).

KEY PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS

1. FS Folio Shakespeare Special Editions
http://www.librarything.com/topic/140780. In particular this covers two different “special edition” Folio Society sets of the 37 volume Folio Shakespeare.

2. Recommended Shakespeare Editions
http://www.librarything.com/topic/127911. In particular, covers the relative merits of Arden vs. Oxford vs. Other editions. Also covers some recommended DVD and Audio productions.

3. FS Letterpress Shakespeare Slip Cased Editions
http://www.librarything.com/topic/145912. Letterpress Shakespeare and slipcases.

4. Oxford / RSC Complete Works
http://www.librarything.com/topic/155267#4166439. From post 42 onwards there is reference to the leather bound Oxford Complete Works, and then subsequent discussions about other editions, including RSC.

5. The Signature Shakespeare Series
http://www.librarything.com/topic/153070. Discussion of the Signature Shakespeare series.

6. FS Editions of Shakespeare's Sonnets
http://www.librarything.com/topic/138251. Shakespeare’s sonnets.

7. Books About Shakespeare And His Works
http://www.librarything.com/topic/142104#3589430. The FS publication Shakespeare’s Life and World and subsequent recommendations for books about Shakespeare and his works, rather than editions of his works.

8. Who Wrote Shakespeare?
http://www.librarything.com/topic/130739#3245978. A long thread discussing Shakespeare authorship, i.e who really wrote Shakespeare's plays (and simple answer from me is...Shakespeare did of course!)

9. First Folio Of Shakespeare
http://www.librarything.com/topic/98141#2185549. An interesting and lively discussion on the pros and cons of facsimile editions, with particular focus on the First Folio of Shakespeare (a publication that definitely seems to have polarised opinions!).

10. Shakespeare Meets Moby Dick!
http://www.librarything.com/topic/155892. Discussion of a book in Spanish, by novelist Jon Bilbao, Shakespeare y la ballena blanca (Shakespeare and the white whale).

11. King Lear Editions
http://www.librarything.com/topic/158393. Pictures and discussion about different editions of King Lear.

12. Folio Society Romeo and Juliet - 1950
http://www.librarything.com/topic/158385#4268344. Mainly a more general topic about FS publications from 1950 and 1951. The link here should take you to photos and a few subsequent posts about the first in the long running Folio Shakespeare series of plays.

The Letterpress Shakespeare
And here are a few miscellaneous threads on the subject of The Letterpress Shakespeare:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/84572#1789565
http://www.librarything.com/topic/78785
http://www.librarything.com/topic/127827
http://www.librarything.com/topic/149266#3884171
http://www.librarything.com/topic/137215

There are probably lots of interesting discussions I have missed, and will add other links here as I find them.

EDIT: Continually being edited to add further links as I find them, or as new topics arise.

Arden Shakespeare (Third Edition)



Many consider the Arden Shakespeare series to be the ultimate critical edition. I have all 35 volumes published to date, which include Sir Thomas More and Double Falsehood which I have described elsewhere, as well as an “alternative” Hamlet edition which includes the 1603 First (Bad) Quarto text and the 1623 Folio text. The main Hamlet edition uses the Second (Good) Quarto text.

The Third Series began in the 1990s and is still some way from being finished, so it is not yet possible to get a uniform set of these. And interestingly despite being some 20 years in the making we are waiting for some of Shakespeare’s main plays. Here are the ones yet to be published:

Macbeth
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Comedy of Errors
All’s Well That Ends Well
Measure For Measure
Cymbeline
King John
Henry IV Part 2

In addition, rumour has it that Arden plan to publish in 2014 an edition of Edward III, currently only available in the New Cambridge Shakespeare series amongst the main editions.

Oxford Shakespeare



Another very highly regarded series, for good reasons. The picture above shows all 39 volumes, which includes the entire “core” Shakespeare canon.

Cheap, yet durable and attractive (with sewn bindings!), with high quality texts and critical apparatus, a great alternative (or addition) to the Arden Shakespeare.

New Cambridge Shakespeare

The last of the “Big Three”, I have fewer of these, but I believe that for some plays these are the best editions of all (Macbeth and As You Like It for example), and for others they are at least the equal of Arden or Oxford. The rather bland blue covers have recently undergone a face lift (and a few editorial additions), as can be seen from the three updated editions I own in the pictures below.

Of particular note is that New Cambridge is the only way to go if you want to get hold of Edward III in a decent critical edition until Arden release their planned edition (scheduled for some time in 2014). The RSC has published an edition (not part of the main RSC Shakespeare series) but it has little commentary.





EDIT: Pictures added in place of previous placeholders.

Folger Shakespeare Library





Not that well known in the UK, but popular I believe in the United States. These are ok, particularly for children or young adults. A fairly helpful introduction, with a gloss on pages facing the text. I picked this handful up for £2 the lot at a car boot sale, and they are definitely worth that. But perhaps not a huge amount more. I can’t say I would particularly recommend them over the main alternatives otherwise. They are cheap. And feel cheap. And look cheap.

Signature Shakespeare



Yummy. We have discussed these at length here http://www.librarything.com/topic/153070 and they seem to have been universally well received by FSD members. Very attractively illustrated and also a perfect introduction to Shakespeare given the clarity and layout of the text. Highly recommended indeed. It is just a shame there are only four plays in the series which has been put on hold.

To get a sense of the fantastic illustrations, follow this link:

http://literaryinklings.com/2012/08/art-meets-literature-in-sterling-epicures-si...

Folio Society Letterpress Shakespeare





My dream reading editions, but the prohibitive cost has limited me to just four of these at present.

Calla Editions





These are nice editions at an affordable price. In addition to Hamlet and The Tempest, there is a Calla Edition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, it is a similar facsimile to the one published by Folio Society, but the FS version looks to be of better quality. As I have the FS version, there is no benefit in me getting the Calla Edition.

There is also a Calla Edition (an imprint of Dover Publications) of Lamb’s Tales From Shakespeare which I do not have. I have heard mixed views about its quality given their recent move from production in the US to production in China, but I can’t speak from personal experience.

Arden Springboard Shakespeare



To supplement their main editions Arden has just launched a new series (this month in fact – June 2013) aimed at newcomers to Shakespeare who may be put off by the exhaustive critical apparatus in the full editions, but would still benefit from help with the text. Or probably more accurately, these are guides for those wishing to get the most out of a theatre production (or plan to be in one!). These are edited by Ben Crystal, co-author (with his father, the lexicographer David Crystal) of the seminal Shakespeare’s Words: A Glossary And Language Companion.

These are a great starting point for those a little daunted by the more detailed critical editions, and a better bet in my opinion than the likes of the New Folger Shakespeare. The downside is that only four have been published so far, but with Arden behind them, I am sure this series will expand quickly. A word of warning though - these do not contain the full text of the plays. You should think of them more as a "theatre guide" to help you get more out of the experience. And they great for just that. If you plan to use them to aid your reading experience, then you will need a nice "clean" reading copy of the text.

You can find out more from:

http://springboardshakespeare.com/

Bloomsbury (Arden's parent company) is providing some big name endorsements for this new series. For example:

“Springboard Shakespeare is the perfect tool for actors, students, theatre-goers and anyone interested in understanding Shakespeare. Ben Crystal has created guides that are a valuable and accessible way to enjoy Shakespeare's genius.' Kenneth Branagh

'Springboard Shakespeare is excellent - a copy should come with every theatre programme!' Judi Dench

> 1

Great idea, Michael!

Perhaps the famous thread on authorship might also be added:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/130739#3245978

Winchester Publications







I came across these two titles at an antique fair in Harrogate, and snapped them up. These were published in 1948, and are limited editions (so the back cover of the jacket states – limited to what number I have no idea, and they are not numbered). They are “Demy Quarto” size with cloth covers underneath the dust jackets. The original price was 30 shillings for each volume, which, from memory, prices them similarly to (perhaps a little higher than) the early FS titles from the same period. The two volumes include a total of 37 full page drawings by J. Yunge-Bateman.

Unfortunately I have been unable to find out any more information about Winchester Publications beyond the fact that they were based at 16 Maddox Street, London, W1.

Shakespeare Graphic Novels



Whatever you think about graphic novels, they can be a great way to enjoy Shakespeare, given that the plays were always meant to be a visual experience too. Almost all of the above use the full original text from the plays, so no dumbing down here!

I will take a break there, before returning with a few other series and/or interesting Fine Editions, but if others have some to share, that would be great (any LEC collectors for example, as I only have two volumes of which to take a picture!).

>10 drasvola: Thanks Antonio. Link added.

> 14

Thanks. You are adding some great pictures... that's a lot of work!

> 13

You mean there are more??!!! Seriously, though, a very impressive collection and a huge amount of collective scholarship at your fingertips.

I expect you have all the editions I have, although I do have the Oxford Shakespeare volumes in hardback. It's not worth photographing them as they all look the same except for the titles. I also have the large 1986 (I think) Oxford 'Complete Works' and its companion, the so-called 'Original Spelling' edition. I also have the 'Complete Works' in three smaller volumes, slipcased, as well as a number of critical support volumes by various people. Perhaps, if and when Arden complete their latest edition they will issue it as a set, although by then they will probably be embarking on the next edition!

I don't know if you're musical, Michael, but I've just bought a CD of 'Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenario', arranged by Christopher Palmer. This consists of most of the music composed by William Walton for the Olivier film, with seminal speeches from the play woven in and among the music as appropriate. I was inspired by a tremendous recorded live performance with Samuel West broadcast the other day on Radio 3. I already have a BBC CD of said Sam West made over a decade ago, but the live performance was much better. The new (to me) CD features Christopher Plummer.

Michael, once again, I want to thank and congratulate you on a fantastic presentation of a topic I am sure is of great interest to many. I'm certain you've been at great pains to take all these photographs from your private collection, but they are hugely helpful to us visual types who can't decide on any one edition without seeing what it looks like first.

This might sound quite superficial, but having mentioned on another thread that I think I'd be better served by Oxford for the individual plays, seeing your photos, I will have to reevaluate my choice for the simple reason that I find the colourful spines of the Ardens make such a beautiful impression when presented as a collection. On the other hand, I much prefer the covers of the Oxford series. All the same, the deciding factor will have to be how much annotation I'm most comfortable with at this stage, so I will probably order one of each of King Lear, one of my favourite Shakespeare plays (and as it happens also one of the very few I've read so far!).

I've added the link to the author page in the "About" section so that this thread may benefit other LT members too.

I've found that an attractive volume with the complete works and plenty of illustrations and other information is the one edited by Sir John Gilbert:

The Folio Shakespeare



I don't have as many of the volumes from this series as some of our FSD members, but this may be of interest. Between 1950 and 1958 FS published the first printings of the first nine volumes in the Folio Shakespeare series with dust jackets before continuing the series in rather bland grey slip cases.

The above photo shows these nine volumes (recycled from my post in the Older Folios thread), together with a tenth early Shakespeare publication, The Sonnets from 1948 (the fourth FS publication following Tolstoy's Tales, Trilby and Aucassin & Nicollete from 1947).

These are lovely volumes, and all are in excellent condition, with the exception of A Midsummer Night's Dream which is missing some of its dust jacket from the top left corner.

The Sonnets didn't form part of the Folio Shakespeare series, but was part of the early Folio Poets series.

>19 drasvola: That looks nice, Antonio. I haven't seen that volume before but I have seen Gilbert's illustrations in the small Collectors's Library editions. Are they the same illustrations do you know? I assume so, although I know he was extremely prolific with his Shakespeare illustrations.

>16 boldface: Jonathan, that sounds like an interesting recording, which I will definitely check out.

> 1

Impressive and outstanding collection.


There are probably lots of interesting discussions I have missed, and will add other links here as I find them.

I recall a particularly intense debate on the authenticity of Shakespeare's works.

>22 LesMiserables: Thanks LesMis. I have added the link to that debate to >1 Conte_Mosca: now.

What a superb resource. Thank you for taking the time to post. Incidentally, I was browsing the Calla edition of Hamlet in Foyles the other day. I had not seen this edition before. The quality seemed fine for a book of that price and I thought it was an interesting edition.

The Shakespeare book I love the most is my one volume Alexander Text. The print is small, the paper not that great but it has a certain amount of both charm and utility about it. I will try and post some pictures at some point.

>3 Conte_Mosca:
Whoa, that is a lot of oxford editions over there !

Nice thread, we should have more topic like this.

A very beautiful copy from FS.



A lot of illustrations.













Single page of glossary at the end, no other notes.

Sorry for the blurry image. hand was shaking

- 26

I love this edition. One of my favourite FS books.

I have never been one of those lucky bibliophiles who come across abandoned gems on their wanders. The exception being a copy of A Midsummer-Nights's Dream ISBN 0 434 61982 5

It was in one of those charity sell-offs in a town hall - box of books of your choice for a fiver: mostly thumbed paperbacks and the like.

Lovely illustrations by Arthur Rackham R.W.S.

>26 kafkachen: Gorgeous photos kafkachen, thank you so much. I was going to upload some photos of that edition, but frankly your photos (and photography) do far more justice to it than mine ever could!

Instead, here is another FS publication

A Midsummer Night's Dream - Folio Society (2001)

This is the lovely 2001 edition, bound in full green-grey linen with a design by W. Heath Robinson, redrawn by David Eccles. It is based on the 1914 edition published by Constable, with numerous full page and vignette drawings by Robinson.

For the Sonnet, I like the commentary by Don Paterson . a poet himself. 'Reading Shakespeare's Sonnet' , faber and faber.
And the extensive notes by Stephen Booth. publish by Yale.

I would like to have some advice on any good companion on Shakespeare .

Hamlet - Peter Pauper Press (1950)

A huge thanks to Fiona (HuxleyTheCat) for bringing this beautiful edition to my attention in the first place.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/85205#1904274

This is a nice one from Shakespeare's source, Saxo:

http://www.dragonbooks.com/display.php?id=3686

This picture has been posted before but it probably belongs here as well. Not as beautiful as other editions. Its 'merit' being that it took me some time to collect and complete the series. The slipcases are awful. Worst case of from FS.



Edited for language booboos...

>34 drasvola: I love that set of yours Antonio. One day I will get myself into gear and finish the collection. I have a long way to go, as I have less than half of them!

I also like cronshaw's set of these in the black slipcases. He shared a picture here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/140780#4051286

The Folio Shakespeare plays make such great reading copies. Perfect size, nicely illustrated, and uncluttered.

Edited to add: >33 parchment: Nice, thanks for the link. I would like a copy - it is such a shame they are rarer than hen's teeth in the UK :-(

>34 drasvola:

Awesome. I like to see a whole sets sit neatly on shelves.

> 32

That is one of the most beautifully illustrated editions of Hamlet I have seen.

> 34

They look great, Antonio. I would love to have that set.

My Shakespeare collection is quite humble. There is nothing exceptional or particularly beautiful about the one volume Alexander Text Shakespeare which has been my companion on many journeys. I love it just the same - it’s slipcased, big and thick and between its covers on not particularly great paper it contains the whole of Shakespeare’s universe -





I picked up this lovely book a few years ago. Its a first edition of the Nonesuch Shakespeare printed in the 30’s (the single volume Shakespeare compendium that they published, drawn from the famous Nonesuch Shakespeare). Its been bound in leather with ruled gilt compartments to the side and the top edges coloured dark green. The paper is nice and has a ridged texture, the print is clear. The spelling and punctuation is unmodernised. Again, I love taking this book around with me when I travel and its a great bedside book. I have photographed the introduction in full as its quite an interesting read -

> 35, 36

Thanks. I've often played with the idea of changing all 37 slipcases for something more aesthetic but the project is daunting. Of course, the pleasure actually comes from handling and reading each book on its own.

ETA: Thanks, David; those are beautiful volumes!

Folio Society - Tales From Shakespeare (2003)

Not "pure" Shakespeare by any means, but these tales by Charles and Mary Lamb have stood the test of time since they were first published in 1807.

>37 Quicksilver66: Thanks for the photos David. The Nonesuch anthology looks very nice. Is that the original binding, or has it been rebound? The only versions I have seen are bound in cloth, but I prefer the leather of your copy. Thanks also for sharing the introduction - a good read indeed. I have always loved the Arber Anthologies published by Edward Arber between 1899 and 1901 - the perfect examples of great anthologies (and all available to download for free from archive.org). The Nonesuch volume seems to follow in that same tradition.

P.S. Here is a link to The Shakespeare Anthology by Arber where you can download a scan of the original volume for free (choose your format from the menu on the left, but I recommend pdf, or the Read Online option). These anthologies do not cover single poets, but rather poetry from the period when the named poet was most active (in the case of The Shakespeare Anthology it covers poetry from 1592-1616). At £0, these represent great value :-)

http://archive.org/details/cu31924013293943

- 40

The binding is I think of later origin, Conte Mosca. I think the binding is quite old but it is in excellent condition.

The First Folio of Shakespeare (Norton / Folio Society 2006)

Here we have the Norton facsimile of the First Folio of Shakespeare. The original FS version was issued in 2001 in half black morocco, marbled paper boards and dark green endleaves. limited to 1000 numbered copies, and bound by Smith Settle

My version show here was the 2006 edition bound in quarter dark red morocco with printed pale brown cloth boards, dark red endleaves and a dark red slip case blocked in gold (and not formally limited).

This facsimile edition (and facsimile editions in general) has prompted quite a lot of comment, both positive and negative, notably here - http://www.librarything.com/topic/98141#2185549 (Key Previous Discussion 9 highlighted in Post >1 Conte_Mosca: above).

Not an easy reading copy, nevertheless it is great to be able to see this as it was published in 1623. It includes 36 plays (18 of which had never been published prior to the First Folio), only missing Pericles and Two Noble Kinsmen of those generally considered to be Shakespeare's.

The Complete Plays - Folio Society (1997 - Reprinted 2007)

FS has produced three different versions of The Oxford Shakespeare Complete Works (excluding the sonnets and other poems).

Once FS had eventually completed the Folio Shakespeare series which started in 1950, it could look to start a new set of Shakespeare's plays using a more up-to-date text. In 1988 FS published a six-volume set, using the text from the Oxford Complete Works published in 1986, edited by Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor, as referenced by Jonathan (boldface) at >16 boldface: above. The set was bound in quarter dark red buckram with paper sides.

In 1997 FS reprinted the "third impression" of this set in a new binding, and changing it from a six-volume box set to two four-volume sets. This 1997 edition was bound in quarter dark green buckram with pale grey paper boards.

In 2007 FS issued the seventh printing of the 1997 edition in a new binding, using quarter bonded leather with paper sides, which is the version I own, and shown below. This set is my favourite of the three different "FS Oxford Shakespeare" sets, but if anyone has the 1988 or 1997 bindings, it would be great to see them here for comparison.

The contents of the sets are the same, except that the 1997 (and 2007) set added a new General Introduction to each volume by Jonathan Bate.

EDIT: Re-worded to clarify the chronology of these sets

>42 Conte_Mosca:, 43

It's interesting to note the similar binding styles (i.e. colour and use of the Hollar panorama; not, of course, size) of your 8-volume complete works and the FS Norton.

This is a superb thread and wonderful resource Michael. Many thanks indeed for putting the time and effort into it. Thanks too for your comment at 32. I really love that Peter Pauper edition and it's unlike anything else in my collection. I usually like collecting sets of things, but knowing that I can never aspire to owning even all my favourite plays in the Letterpress series (I do have Macbeth), and that the ultimate Shakespeare in my view (the LEC editions) are also likely to be beyond my reach, I've started to try and pick up interesting editions of individual works. As well as these two I've recently acquired a 1927 King Lear, illustrated by Paul Nash and printed at the Shakespeare Head press in Stratford. One of my favourite books is a rather huge (and beautifully bound by Sangorski and Sutcliffe) limited edition of the Sonnets illustrated in startling fashion by Clarke Hutton. Anyone only familiar with his work for the FS (or the LEC: I see at 26 you have The Prince and the Pauper, kafkachen) would be at the least surprised by his abstract images for the Sonnets. I usually dislike abstract art but these seem to somehow work.

The LEC Amleth mentioned by parchment at 33 is a lovely book with wonderful wood cuts by Sigurd Vasegaard, which are quite raw but very powerful.

About as far as I got before running out of funds and realizing that there were better values in collecting Shakespeare:

> 47

My eye caught sight of the LOEBs!

>48 LesMiserables: Greeks up front, Romans in the back. I hate having to double shelve.

>11 Conte_Mosca: Winchester Publications rang a bell. No information, but two more of their books, also 1948, but not claiming to be limited editions: The glories of Salisbury Cathedral and The glories of Winchester Cathedral. Coffee table books for the Utility Age: quarto, artificial binding material (still with a curious smell reminiscent of books from the Moscow Foreign Publishing House in the Soviet era), pictorial wrappers, not much text, and lots and lots of pretty good architectural photographs.

Can someone tell me whether the RSC Shakespeare Complete Works has the same annotations as their single play editions have, or are the latter more exhaustive? Wondering if I should order the few single plays I've read and enjoyed so far and if there is value in this other than the fact that they would be easier to carry around and read in bed, for example.

>51 Smiler69: The RSC Complete Works and single play editions are similar. They both include introductions to each play by Jonathan Bate (much more modest in length than the introductions to the Arden, Oxford and New Cambridge editions), as well as the same on-page footnote gloss, and the "key facts" information. However, the single play editions have additional critical information after the play text, heavily focused on the play in performance, rather than a critical analysis of the play itself (not surprising perhaps given it is the RSC edition!). For each single play edition the additional material broadly covers the following:

Scene By Scene Analysis (around 10-20 pages depending on the play).

A c.50 page section entitled "Play Name" In Performance. This takes the form of a short overview of the play in performance, then a history of its performance by RSC, and then interviews with directors / actors.

Then a rather tedious c.15-20 pages on Shakespeare's Career In The Theatre, and a chronology of works (tedious only because it is repeated word for word in every single play edition, so is just "filler" as far as I am concerned, although I accept it may be of value to someone studying a single play, e.g. at school or for performance). The chronology is also in the Complete Works.

And finally, some suggested further reading (which is play specific).

All things considered, these are nice editions, and a welcome alternative to the big three. They are my ultimate portable editions, because they are the only really high quality editions available on the Kindle!

I hope that someone out there who has the lovely LEC 37-volume set of Shakespeare plays will share some of their pictures. In the meantime, I will share a few photos of the only two volumes I have: Love's Labour's Lost; and All's Well That Ends Well.





I will post some of the internal pictures in separate posts below.

Love's Labour's Lost - Limited Editions Club (1939)

I love the drawings in this edition, by Mariette Lydis.

All's Well That Ends Well - Limited Editions Club (1940)

This edition is illustrated from drawings by Richard Floethe. An interesting history to the decision to use Floethe's illustrations. An early series of illustrations for this edition were done by a Swiss illustrator named Gunter Bohmer, and were turned over to the printer in Paris for reproduction (and bear in mind this was 1940). As written by LEC in 1940 "on June 15, the Germans were in Paris; the printer was no longer in Paris; since contact with Paris is not possible now, nor is it likely that such contact would be pleasant, we can only suppose that Gunter Bohmer's illustrations are languishing in some corner of that unfortunate city." I don't know if they ever turned up after the war!

Anyway, LEC then turned to Floethe. LEC stated that "we thought that this play, if any of Shakespeare's plays, has that pixie quality which Richard Floethe admirably translates into drawings". I can't sday that I personally have ever seen a "pixie quality" in All's Well That Ends Well, but nevertheless I am quite drawn to these interesting illustrations.

As You Like It - Folio Society (1953)

The Folio Shakespeare is a great set, as seen in Antonio's (drasvola's) picture at #34. I will share some pictures from a few of the early first editions (as seen in my post at #20), starting with the much sought after first edition illustrated by Salvador Dali. These décor and costume lithographs were made for Visconti's production in Rome.

if you come across an inexpensive first edition in a good condition dust jacket, snap it up, as it is one of the very few FS books that, even inflation adjusted, is now worth significantly more on the secondary market than its original sale price.

King Lear - Folio Society (1956)

If ever there was a designer likely to provoke a reaction, it is Isamu Noguchi! As with all of the Folio Shakespeare editions, the illustrations are those of set and costume designs, in this instance produced by collage using various brightly coloured papers, arranged in geometric patterns. They were designed by Noguchi for the 1955 tour of Europe by the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre.

Slightly off-topic. Thought that you would like to see an original giraffe-elephant that Dalí made for his garden at Pubol castle in Girona:

>58 drasvola: That is quite a bizarre looking thing! Now what can we put on top to replicate the image from the book?

> 59

Dalí built just the "beast" in this case. But there are paintings with giraffe-elephants carrying similar contraptions on their backs.

>60 drasvola: Highly remiss of me I know, but I don't recollect Shakespeare referring to any giraffe-elephants in As You Like It!

> 61

Who knows what mysteries the Forest of Arden holds... You are quite right about your comments on the dust jacket. How lucky of you to have it! That edition is quite hard to find in decent condition.

Just ordered from The BookDepository:

The RSC Shakespeare: The Complete Works
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Tempest
The Oxford Shakespeare: The History of King Lear
Arden Shakespeare Third Series: King Lear

Slightly OT, but not really: I went to see the National Theatre Live screening of The Audience with Helen Mirren last night (most excellent). It was a repeat broadcasting of the live presentation (which I sadly missed) at the local cinema. I mention this here because there were previews for three upcoming Shakespeare plays broadcast by National Theatre Live: Macbeth directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh; Othello with Adrian Lester in the title role and Rory Kinnear as Iago; Coriolanus with Tom Hiddleston in the title role and Mark Gatiss as Menenius. What we won't get to see here unfortunately (unlike UK residents) is National Theatre Live’s 2010 rebroadcasting of Hamlet, with Rory Kinnear in the title role, and National Theatre Live’s 2011 repeat presentation of Frankenstein directed by Danny Boyle with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller. In any case, I know which Shakespeare plays I need to read next to be prepared! :-)







eta: added images.

www.digitaltheatre.com has some brilliant productions of Shakespeare among it's catalogue. The trailer for Macbeth is here: http://www.digitaltheatre.com/production/details/macbeth/play or Much Ado About Nothing here: http://www.digitaltheatre.com/production/details/much-ado-about-nothing-tennant-...

Oh and there are student discounts if you are eligible.

>64 N11284: John, thanks for sharing the links to Digital Theatre, but I must admit I am a little bit frustrated at the moment, after having spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out how I can download one of their productions (King Lear, in this instance) and watch it on my HDTV with the AppleTV I already own and not have to buy a Samsung HDTV, which seems to be the only way to stream their stuff to a television screen. I don't want to watch it on my computer screen, so how completely ridiculous that they make the ease of use only available if you buy a big piece of expensive technology! They seem to have very interesting productions, but I wouldn't say they make it exactly easy to enjoy the performances UNLESS YOU BUY A DARN SAMSUNG HDTV! Completely ridiculous! I've contacted them about all this and will await their response some time next week. Unless of course it's all really simple and I'm completely off the mark?

Can you download a production to your computer and put it on a dvd to play on your HDTV?

>66 jburlinson: Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't think that is possible. Indeed, if I could download it to my computer, all would be well since I could easily watch it on the television with the AppleTV, but as I understand it, the only way you can watch their productions is via their own Digital Theatre application, which you download from their site. Maybe I'm not understanding how this works and if I just purchased one of the performances and downloaded it to the app, I could try to see if I could make it work, but I'm loath to spend money and then possibly find out I can only watch it on the computer screen.

That being said, as I mentioned above, they do seem to have very good productions on offer, so worth checking out.

I download and watch on my iMac ,perfect hd images. Never tried to put it on a TV. will check out later if it's possible to burn to DVD.

The files apparently are protected. I've made a copy to a USB pendrive and tried to play it on a Smart LG tv. It didn't work. Video conversion software doesn't seem to work either.

> 63 Have just booked to see Branagh's Scottish play when it's transmitted from the Manchester festival: I see most NT productions on stage, so this will be a first experience of NT Live. I hadn't realised they were using it for non-NT shows, so thanks for the alert.

>70 affle:
Do you mean Macbeth?

>71 LesMiserables: You now need to leave the theatre, turn around three times, spit over your left shoulder, recite "Angels and ministers of grace defend us", and beg permission to return :-)

Chortle :=)
I remember Blackadder!

If your computer and your TV have HDMI with the appropriate output/input plugs, I would think you could run the program using the prescribed player on the computer while viewing the video on the TV. Would that work?

> 74

I have to give that a try. I do have the ports; the cable would have to be a bit long though. Thanks for pointing out the possibility.

> 75. I'd be interested to hear how you fare. It should work, at least for the picture. I'm not sure about the sound, which might only come through the computer speakers. Good luck.

> 76

Will do.

Macbeth - Folio Society (1951)

After having shared the "extremes", I will finish my look at a few Folio Shakespeare volumes with my personal favourite - "The Scottish Play". I just love the cove,r and costume and set designs by Michael Ayrton. These were drawn especially by Ayrton for this edition, based on the original designs for a 1942 production.

Sonnets - Various Commentary Editions

The most common question about Shakespeare editions I am asked is "which version of X should I get? Often followed by "Oxford or Arden?". And the most common "X" is The Sonnets! Well my simple answer to that one is neither The Oxford or the Arden! Don't get me wrong. As some of you know from other threads (see #1) I am a huge fan of both series, and their respective editions are very good indeed. But for me there are three commentary volumes of The Sonnets that stand head and shoulders above the rest.



And for once, I can easily rank these from a personal perspective:

1st - Reading Shakeapeare's Sonnets - Don Paterson. This is a brilliant, and highly entertaining set of commentaries alongside the poems by a man who himself is one of the greatest poets alive today. This is my desert island edition of The Sonnets, and a great lively read for sonnet novices and experts alike.

2nd - The Art Of Shakespeare's Sonnets - Helen Vendler. A highly provocative edition, this is one that Don Paterson too has a love hate relationship with. In fact here is an extract from Paterson's introduction to his own edition demonstrating just how important this edition is to him. "Nonetheless, nonetheless...one happily pays the price of Vendler's near-occultism as one tolerates Yeats's theosophical fantasies, as the necessary line along which she has developed her insight. I'm having my copy of The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets rubberised so I can catch it again after I've thrown it at the wall". Not a starting point though. This is one for when you are already reasonably familiar with the sonnets (and after reading the Paterson edition!)

3rd - Shakespeare's Sonnets - David West. Less personality in this than either of the above two editions, but nevertheless a great introduction to the sonnets, and a nicely produced edition too.

>79 Conte_Mosca:, 80 Beautiful edition of Macbeth. And with your latest post, you've answered a question I was asking myself. I'd seen the West edition online and quite fell in love with the cover image, and was hoping it was a good way to go. Is it illustrated throughout? In any case, you've convinced me I must get the Paterson first. No mention of the FS edition though?

eta: have ordered the Paterson.

I must say Michael, I can't believe how I missed this thread! This is a fantastic; a wonderful source of information that I will cherish. I must congratulate you on your hard work.

I don't know why but a small tear of joy always shows up when seeing Hamlet and Denmarke. I've always had a special connection to that play. Maybe all Danes do, although I have observed the only place where Hamlet has ever been mentioned has always been among the Brits :)

>81 Smiler69: None of the three volumes I recommend are illustrated. Unless you count the "facsimile" of each sonnet in the Vendler edition. The West edition is nicely put together for a trade hardback, and the pages have a deckle edge.

I didn't mention the FS edition only because my focus was on editions with commentaries. For an uncluttered reading copy with no notes, I love the FS edition, as shown by kafkachen at #26. It is a perfect size, and beautifully illustrated and typeset. I wouldn't be without it.

>82 ironjaw: I am glad you like it Faisel. It has been a pleasure to put together!

As a small contribution to this thread, I might add that FS has collected in a single volume all the introductions to the series of individual plays published 1950-76. The book came out in 1977 with a foreword written by Charles Ede. Highly recommended.

As far as current editions go, I've found that I really like the hardback New Cambridge series.
They typography is superb; just the right point size and leading. The pages can breathe and are easy to read. The Ardens are good if you need every last syllable explained in the greatest detail, but that produces crowded pages that are a big turn-off to the eye. The Cambridge footnotes are more sparing. The quality also depends on the editor, of course.

The New Cambridge hardbacks are usually quite affordable in the used market (under $20).

I'm considering Letterpress Macbeth from FS.

Worth it?

> 87: I sincerely hope so: I've just ordered it, along with Hamlet.

I had two discount vouchers for £50 each (one for an LE), and they were burning a hole in my pocket. Since the vouchers expired on 31 July, I finally gave in to temptation at the last possible moment (Wednesday night).

Since I already have chronic FAD, I'm hoping this isn't the start of a new, even more expensive, addiction. I got the four Signature Shakespeare volumes recently, then discovered this thread.

BTW, thanks for starting an excellent thread, Conte_Mosca, with lots of useful info and recommendations. Not to mention the photos - must . . . resist . . . enablers :-)

Updated links in #1 and added the missing pictures in #4 (I had put in a placeholder for them but forgot to go back and add them!).

Updated links in #1 again and also just wanted to provide a more explicit link to the pictures of King Lear editions below rather than re-posting them here.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/158393

>Conte_mosca very useful and interesting info! hope you can start a thread on poems by FS.

Can anyone post some Tempest illustrations?

I didn't understand the allure of the Letterpress Editions at first, then, I got a couple at a really good deal. Now, I'm hooked. Holding one in your hands is like handling a drug that is absorbed through the skin. I'm addicted and now working on acquiring others. Photographs really do not do these volumes justice. You have to hold one, but beware! Holding one will lead to wanting all of them!

Not one from Folio, but this book seemed interesting enough for me to consider purchasing it...

http://www.versobooks.com/books/1489-the-hamlet-doctrine

One for Hamlet fans.