Complete Shakespeare - Riverside, RSC, or Norton?

[Hazmat0]

How do these compare to one another, and which is in your opinion the best?

[JBI]

If you are a serious buyer, you can check out the texts online for free in pdf form. Norton has a preview online, you can take a look at their works, though I don't think they have a complete book yet. Riverside has many illegal pdf copies circulating, of which I could hypothetically give links out, as downloading them is currently not illegal where I am (that says nothing of where you guys live, so you are not allowed to do so).

Still, it depends what it is going to be used for. If you are just starting out, get the one at your level - the same way not everybody needs the massive Longman Faerie Queene, even though it is the most scholarly edition.

As someone who works a lot with older primary texts, I know how confusing and daunting a massive scholarly edition can be - try reading a 2000 page copy of the Confucian Analects to get an idea - the book itself is not even 100 pages.

If you are buying the physical book, get the affordable one.

[OrphanPip]

The Norton has a 4 volume version of the complete works: separated into tragedies, comedies, histories, and romances and non-dramatic poetry. I find it a bit more manageable than working with any of the giant single volume books that are out there. Norton uses the Oxford texts but their notes are pretty minimal.

[kasie]

I really like the RSC version - the page layout is easy on the eye, the notes are unobtrusive but scholarly and informative, there are good intros to each play and notes on the variations within each play in the various early printings at the end of each play. These are the texts the RSC uses in its productions. But - it is a huge book, much too heavy to carry around or hold and read in comfort. It's strictly for table-top reading. I suspect the paperback edition would fall apart in use, it's just so big. However, there are editions of the individual plays becoming available if you want a study/acting edition of (atm) the more popular plays.

[Hazmat0]

If you are a serious buyer, you can check out the texts online for free in pdf form. Norton has a preview online, you can take a look at their works, though I don't think they have a complete book yet. Riverside has many illegal pdf copies circulating, of which I could hypothetically give links out, as downloading them is currently not illegal where I am (that says nothing of where you guys live, so you are not allowed to do so).

Still, it depends what it is going to be used for. If you are just starting out, get the one at your level - the same way not everybody needs the massive Longman Faerie Queene, even though it is the most scholarly edition.

As someone who works a lot with older primary texts, I know how confusing and daunting a massive scholarly edition can be - try reading a 2000 page copy of the Confucian Analects to get an idea - the book itself is not even 100 pages.

If you are buying the physical book, get the affordable one.

Well I guess my level would be that of a beginner, since I'm only a high school senior and only have minimal experience with Shakespeare. So what should I do in terms of the compelte editions? Do you think I should just buy cheap, used, single editions that might be easier for beginners? If so what publisher?

Thank!

[kasie]

Your purchase really depends on how you regard the investment of your money.

Do you think you will go on to become a student of English Literature? Invest in any of the editions you have mentioned in a hardback copy that will last - you'll be referring to it constantly. Be prepared to buy individual copies of the plays you will be studying in detail later, paperbacks you don't mind getting knocked and creased as you carry them around and annotate the text and margins.

If you're just looking to read to widen your general knowledge, then buy individual copies of the plays that catch your interest. If you want one or two, this could be the cheapest way. However if you develop a taste for them, buying a succession of individual plays could prove expensive.

If you are looking to build a personal library, you need a Complete Works - no library worthy of the name is without one. Choose an edition that you personally find easiest to read - my first Complete Works was printed in two columns per page, like the Bible, almost impossible to read. I keep it still for old times' sake, it is bookmarked with photos of the productions I've seen, but I've just invested in a replacement copy (RSC) and wish I'd had it years ago.

[ralfyman]

I don't know about the RSC version, but Norton (one-volume edition with slipcase) comes with a lot of notes, and that's what I selected. Riverside is fine but I'm not sure about the durability of the binding. There's also Pelican.

[Calidore]

FWIW, after reading reviews of a few complete sets several years ago, I went with the Bevington. I can no longer give you specific reasons, but Amazon's reviews always have a few uber-geeks willing to make detailed comparisons; check them out.

[chrisvia]

I just bought the Norton slipcased hardcover and I am extremely happy. All of Shakespeare in one volume! The text is in one column per page (as opposed to the expected two-column format), making it highly readable and making room for marginalia. And it is packed with essays, references, annotations, and introductions.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393068013/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[astrum]

I wonder if the OP wants to know which one has the best footnotes and annotations. Such things can immensely improve comprehension.

[mal4mac]

I've read several plays in single volume Norton & other editions, but found the notes a bit too comprehensive for me. Take JBI's warning about scholarly editions seriously! The RSC single volume & complete hardback editions were a revelation to me. There are short, succinct notes on every page, that are just enough to give you understanding of the text... they are not weighed down with the names and differing views of every scholar since Dr Johnson.

As a previous poster pointed out, the RSC is used by actors... so they need to be easy to understand :) More seriously, the RSC seems to be aimed at getting reasonably well read adults quickly up to speed. Using it, I managed to find the motivation to read (just about) all the plays over a period of a few months.

The only problem with the RSC complete hardback edition might be its sheer size, but most single volumes have this problem. I'm a male of average build, with padding on the thighs, and found it easy enough to read it on my lap. I can imagine children, or the petite, finding it at a bit much to handle, as some posters are pointing out here. In that case, you might try the paperback edition, or get a setup where you can read it at a desk.

Get down to the local library & bookshops and, literally, get a feel for the different editions. Spend several hours reading them, and ask yourself, if you can live with them.

The RSC is single column format as well. The (old) Norton editions I used were double column. I also find single column a lot more user friendly; allowing you to readily distinguish verse form prose, and the text is given room to breathe.