The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21

Al IncreasinG Demand All Over the Couu-
try for Annotated Editions or Hts Works.

Al Incren.inG Demand All Over the Coun-
try for Annotated Edition. or His Works.
Although managers of theatres still say that
akaspearc spells ruin, the readers OF Shake
rpeare have within recent years increased by
many thousands There is n constantly in
creasing demand for tho various annotated
editions Of Shakespeare. especially of those
cmbodying . single play In each volume; and
sets OF nkcspeare are still favorte gifts for
Christmas and birthdays. Reading circles tho
country over. especially In the North and East,
are reading Shakespeare every winter. and
these and the secondary schools have created q
demand for expurgatcd editions with notes.
Women make up large proportion Of tho
now readers Of Shakespeare. With the increase
OF wealth In the country has come an increase
OF leisure among women. IL not among mon, and
Thousands OF women whose mothers found lit
Ito time for anything beyond household duties,
have taken to reading and study. This Is
especially true OF women In small cities and
even In VILLAGES. and the home study. once
,nisny s9nnsd TO Ss ,S EnsHn1' Is r rpsssdnE
students Of literature. many o: whom have
never seen play acted up3n stage, are read
in appalling array. Tho sex 81 the readers de-
termine: The special poP1lryIty Of particular
any other, though julius Caesar" because OF
s.eenaap pss Schools. Is much in demand 'as
69s Ike FS r.mps. Ma:r@%5b Ss sSr.
Ing" are sold by the Thousands to the new
students OF shake.p.are, Ihts list include. tho
comedies most familiar to the stage. There IL
sometimes a special demand for single plays
when such plays, are on the boards; The com
Hamlet" as being generally held the greatest.
Ia more In demand than any other Perhaps
"0iheilo" or g Romeo and Juliet" comes next
that Falstan Is undervhlued by the feminine
readers of Shakespeare is shawn by the fact
that " Henry ~" IL rather less widely read
than several Other OF the histories. Neither ia
there any special demand for the Merry
Wives Of Windsor" Tho PLAYS least called for
arc Loves Labors Lost" Titus Audronicns"
for Measure not much read BY the feminine
admirers OF Shakespeare. "Cym5eline." Is
neglected In the single play editions. So. to. Is
"coriolanns."
where others sell only by tens. so well Is this
recognized. indeed. that few Of the so-called
sets Of Shakespeare intended for students in
c!ude he least popuinr plays. and. many M are
the ed ton. containing single play In each
volume. and especially designed to meet the
new demand there are only ono or two such edl-
tlons that are Mt once unexpnrgated and com
the demand for annotated plays that n popular
now edition Mt first issued without notes. is
hereafter To be annotated. Here IL another oy-
idrnco that tho demand comes. not from old
lovers Of Shakespeare familiar with his text
and nj ease with it's difficultier. but from tho
new Studrnts the modern women Of leisure.
The demand IL mainly for editions In cheap
cents a volume arc sold. though the annotated
editions In cheapest form are usually consider
ably higher In price than this. A full set Of
Shakespeare. ore PLAY to the Volume may be
editions Of this kind, bound IN leather. are sell
ing occasionally at As much as SIPS set