Need a bit of help!
Hello!
I’ve been doing reading about the plays but I want a one more source that covers most (if not all the plays).
The books I have so far are:
- Shakespeare After All by Marjorie Garber. So far my favourite because she covers every play and puts her observations in a way that feel like she’s trying to teach you about the plays. A bit like a text book but more engaging.
- Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human by Harold Bloom. While fairly informative, my problem with this book is that:
He doesn’t cover all the plays.
I feel like a hypocrite for saying this but the writing feels like he’s fan girl-ing the works. Most of us already admire Shakespeare’s gifts as a writer, I don’t need to be told that. I want to learn how to interpret the play and understand the themes and characters motives.
- This is Shakespeare: How to Read the World’s Greatest Playwright by Emma Smith. Great book but only covers the better known plays.
I’m looking for books closer to Shakespeare After All. I wish Amazon would let us read samples to make sure the book is the kind I’m looking for. As it is, I’m flying blind. Since I’m not a student, my research skills are limited to Googling “Books analyzing Shakespeare plays” and “Essays on Shakespeare plays”. I’m tempted to get the Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare. There are also The Meaning of Shakespeare volumes one and two by Harold Goddard but since I can’t flip through them it’s hard to judge if it’s what I’m looking for.
Thank you so much for any suggestions you might have!
Cheers