Prefaces to Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost

Prefaces to Shakespeare #1

by Harley Granville-Barker

"Love's Labors Lost" is for the student of Shakespeare, whether in the theatre class or the literature class. It is for actors of Shakespeare, and for the directors. It is a practical guide and an insightful critique. It is also immensely readable.

Genres: Shakespeare, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1927

About the author

Harley Granville-Barker was an English actor, director, producer, critic and playwright.

For more information, see Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granville-Barker is a great, short text for the interested Shakespeare amateur, or even for those of us who think we're professional observers of his work. Granville-Barker walks through the play looking at: 1) the history and context of the work, 2) a detailed synopsis of the play which is structured more as a critical analysis, discussing references, details, thematic issues, and the like, in chronological narrative order; and 3) attitudes toward presenting the play into the modern era.

It's not an all-encompassing work, but it's a great look into the play.