The Rough Guide to Shakespeare 2 (Rough Guide Reference) by Andrew Dickson

by Andrew Dickson

The Rough Guide to Shakespeare provides the perfect introduction across all media from the Elizabethan theatre to the modern multiplex. Designed to work equally well as a quick reference and a background companion, the book features full coverage of all 38 plays including a synopsis, character list, stage history and a full critical essay. There are guides to recommended texts, critical studies and further reading, reviews of the best films and audio recordings, and guidance on where to go next. The author provides fascinating features on such topics as swearing in Shakespeare, fools, cross-dressing and the mystery of Shakespeareas lost plays. As well as the plays there''s a detailed look at Shakespeareas poetry, both the famous Sonnets and the less well-known narrative poems. Finally, this handbook includes everything there is to know about Shakespeareas life, along with a full account of how the plays were originally performed. Throughout there are more than 100 pictures, including photos of great Shakespearean actors and some of the most celebrated recent productions.

Genres: Shakespeare, Nonfiction, History, Reference, Drama, Literature, Literary Criticism

Paperback

First published April 25, 2005

About the author

Hello. I'm an author and critic who writes regularly for the Guardian and a number of other publications, including the New Yorker and the New Statesman.

My new book about Shakespeare’s global influence, Worlds Elsewhere: Journeys Around Shakespeare’s Globe, is published in the UK by Bodley Head/Vintage and in the US by Henry Holt.

I'm also the author of the Globe Guide to Shakespeare, and also contributed to the New Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare.

I'm currently an honorary fellow at Birkbeck, University of London and a former visiting fellow at the University of Warwick.

I live in east London.

Reviews

[Julie Bozza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm popping this back on the 'partially read' shelf for now, but I've read plenty, and I love it. Heaps of fascinating info, and an engaging and lively voice from the author, Andrew Dickson, make this a 5-star read for sure.

I've now read all the 'extra' material, which deftly covers a huge range of Shakespeare in his context and since. I've managed to limit my buying (so far!) to only one extra book; my self-control has nothing to do with how persuasive Dickson's reviews, summaries and recommendations are.

I've also read the chapters on 'Twelfth Night', for research purposes, and on 'Romeo and Juliet', because I know it best and it's the easiest way for me to get a handle on whether Dickson and I are on something approaching the same page. I'm pleased to say we are. I'm sure he'll sleep better for knowing that, but I really did enjoy his exploration of R+J.

I am not sure now whether I'll go ahead and read the chapters on the remaining plays on their own, or if I might save them and read them in combination with watching the set of BBC DVDs that I have waiting for me. ... If only there were more days in the week! But there are some Shakespeare plays I have yet to read or watch at all, and this book strikes me as the ideal companion to help me address the lack.

[Kaui · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that begs to be read by anyone interested in expanding their ability to appreciate Shakespeare. It covers all his plays and then some. Each section pithily lists characters, plot summary and themes, then an engaging analytical essay and recommendations for further research. I found this book not only to be a fantastic research resource, but a great read itself. I have plans to go back and read up on all of Shakespeare's plays.

(P.S. this should be purchased as a hardcopy; having this on the Kindle I don't think would be as rewarding. There's something about being able to flip through a section and back and forth between two sections that is not provided by the Kindle which I value highly in a reference manual such as this entertaining tome.)

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty darn decent overview of the Bard for a newcomer or amateur fan: this work includes concise but researched synopses of each play and poem, alongside historical, academic and textual notes. It also remembers the crucial mantra that Shakespeare was written to be performed, with an examination of acting styles, reviews of notable film and audio adaptations, and interviews with a dozen-or-so leading Shakespearean actors of the 20th century (Ian McKellen, Harriet Walter and Adrian Lester among them). Even as a more-than-amateur fan of Shakespeare, I found this to be a well-written work.

[Cory Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this new edition of an excellent Shakespeare resource! I often consult this when I'm studying Shakespeare, or looking for a Shakespeare film I haven't seen yet. There are quite a few updated film reviews and book reviews in this new edition. One of the best popular guides to Shakespeare I've found...

[J.A. Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and inviting. Informative and a gem. Introduces lots of paths to briefly explore. Invaluable whether as an appetizer, an entree, or dessert for experts or beginners learning Shakespeare's writings and era.

[Ian Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, but choose the updated edition: The Globe Guide to Shakespeare: The Plays, the Productions, the Life (Paperback) (isbn 1681772604), Published September 6th, 2016, by Pegasus Books.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent starting place for research into any of Shakespeare's works.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty useful resource! I like that it reviews available recordings of performances. Leant to me by Thomas Ingle.

[Mills College Library]

822.3 XDdi 2016

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect one-volume guide to Shakespeare. If you're getting ready to go see a production, or read one of the plays, read the relevant section in this guide first, and you'll know enough to be dangerous at the show. This book, along with a complete Shakespeare, belongs on every literate person's bookshelf.