This one? I didn't know of this, thanks! I read (or rather am reading) the penguin version, which thankfully also has a fuckton of footnotes.
First, you should get yourself a complete works. I use the RSC, which is based off the First Folio and has helpful summaries and efficient annotations for each play. However, take the time to decide what version you want, as opinions differ.
Perhaps start with the ones that you studied at school, as you may already be familiar with the text. Reading Shakespeare can be quite difficult without practice so it is best to start with something you know. You might rely on the annotations frequently to start with, but you'll soon get the hang of it.
The shorter and simpler plays also may be a good starting point. Macbeth or Midsummer Night's Dream, for example, are relatively straightforward, whereas the history plays are quite difficult to grapple with. Do not be afraid to jump straight in from beginning to end in whatever edition you choose. The multi-part histories are best read together, but otherwise it can be helpful to mix it up if you get tired of a particular genre.
If you get stuck on a particular play, watching a production or reading a summary can make some things much clearer. If you are confident, just go for it, picking out whatever plays you like the look of in whatever order. But don't be put off if you don't follow the language instantly, these things get better the more you read. Good luck and enjoy!
Definitely still in print.
13,000 copies of the entire works of Shakespeare%2520and%2520thick%2520dust%252Djacket.&ved=2ahUKEwju2fu-hsL5AhWINcAKHbufCzAQFnoECBMQBQ&usg=AOvVaw1_a1EBQYFlIFY6hB6nu4vb). Someone would have seen it.
Wow, what a wonderful gift! I have this edition: Paradise Lost (Penguin Classics) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140424393/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_BMR7H4JJF0D7G9QHEABP?psc=1
It's just over 500 pages, so I guess it is kind of hefty
I use the RSC edition and would highly recommend it. It includes every work, is based largely on the First Folio, and has a short essay before every play providing some useful insight into the themes, characters, and context.
This here is actually the exact version I had to read in high school. Each page spread has the Old English on the left and the modern English on the right, which is incredible for seeing how words changed over time. But yes, definitely check it out.
Amazon and most book sellers have it since it’s a classic like Dante’s inferno and works by H.P love craft. paradise lost on Amazon it’s also relatively cheap.
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
We're joined by John Dolan aka The War Nerd to learn why war is not about weapons or strategy, but people. We get a brief history of the Syrian conflict to date, discuss the use of chemical weapons, recent US airstrikes and another short history lesson on Hezbollah. We then ask the War Nerd to War Game out a possible US Civil War and close with a reading from Dolan's new translation of The Iliad, arguably the greatest war of all time. Buy The War Nerd Illiad :
https://www.amazon.com/War-Nerd-Iliad-John-Dolan/dp/1627310509
Sure! There are lots of "complete works" editions out there, including ones with introductions and notes for every play (though they won't be small if those add-ons are included). Try the RSC Complete Works or Bevington's Complete Works. Neither one is small or cheap, but if you want more than just the text, they're a real help.
This might suit your needs, although it is merely fiction. John Gardner's alternate take on Beowulf, told from the perspective of the misunderstood monster Grendel is downright hilarious while also having a lot to say about existentialism. Of course, I'd recommend reading the Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf first--and why not? The language is beautiful, and reading between the lines reveals how Christian Anglo-Saxons felt about their proto-Viking pagan ancestors. Give them both a whirl! Here's a link to each:
> golden age
LOL - not sure if that was intended or not, but having just now read The Golden Age by John C. Wright, where most interaction is direct brain input and everyone can change what they see with a gesture, I like what your saying. :)
Oh and Neal, I like your books best, really I do.
This edition with notes and introduction by Philip Pullman looks pretty good.