Shakespeare's Books: A Dictionary of Shakespeare Sources (Student Shakespeare Library)
A specialized Shakespeare title originally published in hardback is now available in more affordable paperback as part of the Student Shakespeare Library series, which also incudesShakespeare's Theatre: A Dictionary of His Stage Context.Shakespeare's Booksis an alphabetically arranged dictionary of almost 200 entries on more than 80 major sources that influenced Shakespeare's work. Entries are made up of authors (Virgil, Chaucer); works (the Bible); or genres (Homilies); and entry length varies according to the importance of its influence on Shakespeare's work. The longer entries have four sections: a brief biographical or historical description, an assessment of its reputation in Renaissance England, a discussion of the nature of the influence on Shakespeare, and a bibliography pointing to sources chronicling Shakespeare's use of the author or text. Entries include standard sources of influence on Shakespeare as well as more recent discoveries of texts associated with the Bard. Ten black-and-white figures supplement the text, and there is a general bibliography and index. The index, however, does not include plays, which severely limits the usefulness of this otherwise well-designed book.Recommended for large academic research libraries or specialized literary collections.Susan GardnerCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved