The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

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Very good value for money - Rated
This is a great book- it contains all of Shakespeare's fantastic works, and is very reasonably priced. However, the text is small and can be difficult to read, but it is good for reference. When I wanted to use one of the plays in a piece of coursework and make notes and annotate, I just photocopied the relevant pages and annotated on them. But one can't really complain at this price! I would definitely recommend.

The one for the Lit Geeks! - Rated
I needed this for my drama course, and brought this version in our local uni shop. Now the only problem is, the text is a little small and adding to that- if you want a complete works of Shakespeare, I'd suggest getting the RSC version that I've just ordered; it's MUCH nicer in hardback, and you will have the guarantee of the book lasting longer. BUT if you're intending just to use it for a course, then this book is the one. Although I'd personally say it's worth spending that little bit extra and getting one you can keep forever (and not worry about it getting damaged in between moving!)

A man's complete life works for less than 5 pounds...! - Rated
Even if you only like 30% of that written within, you cannot go wrong for this price. I found myself being drawn into it, even though I hated it at school. A compilation like this, lets you pick and choose what you want to explore of the writer's great works.

The Complete Works Of Shakespeare - Rated
I was looking for a book which contained the plays of Shakespeare as I needed to select which would be most appropriate to use as a drama workshop. I chose this book because it was very cheap.

The book is very chunky and it features ALL his plays and major poems/sonnets. Each page has two columns of text in very small print, so if you don't have good eye sight, I wouldn't recommend this book. It's also quite smudgy and the text is quite cramped. I don't feel this book is suitable to work from, to annotate etc.. However, it is as useful as a dictionary when it comes to looking up quotes and is brilliant to have around in order to recommend speeches to students. It also has a very useful Glossary at the back for those words which are uncommon/not used nowadays and includes information from the original folio.

To summarise... a book very worth the money, useful as a point of reference but not a book to be worked from.

England's greatest writer - Rated
William Shakespeare is renowned for being England's greatest writer, and arguably the greatest writer the World has ever known. Most people will have come across Shakespeare in one form or another, whether it be reading him at school, hearing his works quoted, or seeing a film that is based on one of his plays. The borrowings from Shakespeare are wide and varied, and many day to day sayings such as "Cruel to be kind", "Too much of a good thing" and "Wild-goose chase" all have their origins in Shakespeare.

This book is a collection of all 37 plays, all 152 sonnets and some of his longer poems. They don't have to be read in order, and there is no reason to read all of them in one sitting - it's just great to be able to pick up a single volume to be able to read 'King Lear', or 'Hamlet', or 'Henry V' whenever the mood takes you. There is something for every mood here, from lightweight comedy to dark, harrowing tragedy.

My only criticism is that with a book this large it is often hard to keep a softcover edition in good condition. It needs a little more looking after, so if you want to keep this fantastic collection of literary works in good condition, do yourself a favour and get a hardcover edition, but for those on a budget, this is an ideal way to get your hands on some of the greatest literature ever written!