“Collector’s Edition” Will Shakespeare; an invention in four acts 1922 [Premium Leather Bound]

by Clemence Dane

Indulge in the luxury of a unique, premium leather-bound book designed for elite readers and collectors of rare, old books. We specialize in printing hard-to-find books not listed in our store, aiming to bring rare books back to the shelves and preserve literary history for future generations. We welcome your comments and suggestions to continually improve our offerings. Our exceptional editions feature genuine leather binding, handcrafted using original leather in various colors, including Red, Green, Blue, Magenta, Tan, Deep Brown, and Black. Customize your book by choosing any color and sending us your preference. The exquisite golden leaf design on the spine, front, and back, complemented by edge gilding, gives the book a truly distinguished appearance. We use high-quality, natural shade paper for black and white printing, with pages sewn bound for enhanced durability and longevity. The original edition was first published Long Back [1922] and faithfully reprinted in 2024. Each page has been meticulously processed to ensure readability, preserving the original content while addressing occasional issues such as blurs, missing pages, or black spots. Our dedicated team strives to restore these historical treasures to their former glory. The book is in English, contains 152 pages. If it is multi volume set, then it is only single volume. We offers custom labels in different colors for further personalization. A folio edition is available in size 12x19 inches upon request. Please note that leather is a natural material, and slight variations in color or texture may occur. Complete - “Collector’s Edition” Will Shakespeare; an invention in four acts 1922 [Premium Leather Bound] by Dane, Clemence

Genres: Plays

212 pages, Leather Bound

First published January 1, 1921

About the author

Clemence Dane was the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton.

Clemence Dane (name for the London church, St Clement Danes) was the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton, an English novelist and playwright (1888-1965). Between World Wars I and II, she was arguably Britain’s most successful all-round writer, with a unique place in literary, stage and cinematic history. Dane won an Oscar for her screenplay “Vacation from Marriage,”. School teacher, novelist, playwright and magazine editor, Dane wrote at least 30 plays and 16 novels.

One series she was famous for was The Babyons, by Clemence Dane. Four long stories strung together by a supernatural thread and chronicling the family history of the Babyons over a period of about 200 years. The ghostly thread is introduced in the first story, “Third Personal Singular,” a tale of 1750. James Babyon, engaged to marry his cousin Hariot, becomes suddenly averse from her and breaks the engagement within a month of the date set for the wedding. In a passionate scene in which the probable madness of Hariot is subtly suggested she pleads with him and, finding him adamant, cries that they are already married in soul and are inseparable. That his cousin actually is subject to fits of madness he does not learn until he is wedded to her companion Menella. He and Menella go to Europe to find everywhere that people have a curious fear of them; a fear which spreads to their servants and, when he learns that Hariot committed suicide, to Babyon himself. He regards himself directly responsible for her death, becomes obsessed with the belief that she haunts him, and the tragedy ends with his madness. The second story is dated 1775, the third 1820-1873, and the last 1902-1906. These stories are lighter than the first stark tragedy, and they end with peace at last given to the Babyons. Through them all runs the influence of Hariot, that strange, wildly passionate woman of 1750. Fine, dramatic work of large conception.--The Australian Woman's Mirror 29 May 1928.

Reviews

[Michael P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This lardy play uses the biographical myths current at the time (1921) about the identity of Shakespeare’s Dark Lady, his relationship with Marlowe, and others. Seldom read or performed today, it is not without some melodramatic interest. While never popular on stage, the play continued to turn up in television and radio versions over the decades, and in multiple countries. It is deservedly forgotten how, and so is Dane (real name Winifred Ashton). Of extra interest is the fact that Shakespeare speaks all but two of his lines in blank verse.

[Redfox5 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this at all. I thought I would as it's about Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth is in it. But I just found it very confusing and dull.