The Complete Signet Classic Shakespeare [B2009]

1972 HC, in nice clean condition. Brings together into one volume, editions of all the plays, poems, and sonnets originally published as individual paperbacks in the New American Library's Signet Classic Shakespeare series. With a General Introduction by Professor Barnet, introductions to the individual plays by the contributing editors, and annotations.

From Amazon/GoodReads reviews of this edition: "I've had this almost 2000-page book since I was an English major in college some thirty years ago. It has everything Shakespeare wrote, excellent footnotes explaining the meaning of the words and allusions that are obscure now, and wonderfully insightful essays at the beginning of each play. If I were ever stuck alone on a desert island and had to pick five books to go with me, this would be one of them."; "This is the best of the 'complete works' I have found. It's more portable than most, has an excellent layout, excellent marginal notes and summaries. You'll need to get this from a used book dealer, but it's well worth the effort."; "Great comprehensive collection; the characters and stories are phenomenal classics. Once you get over the language differences by reading a little, it all starts to make sense; if it doesn't, there are plenty of footnotes."; "Nothing equals Sylvan Barnet's polished and fully annotated edition of Shakespeare's Complete Works, well presented & introduced, with full textual notes and explanations on the origin and inspiration of each play... This is erudition at its best: helpful in & out of school, ever reliable, ever accurate. I will cherish this book until it turns to dust, it has been THE guide to start reading Shakespeare on my own & I'm certain it will prove a lifelong companion."