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Big Ideas The Little Book Of Shakespeare

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The Little Shakespeare Book is the perfect primer to the works of William Shakespeare, packed with witty illustrations and inspirational quotes, now in a handy compact size.

This bold book covers every work, from the comedies of Twelfth Night and As You Like It to the tragedies of Julius Caesar and Hamlet, plus lost plays and less well-known works of poetry. Easy-to-understand graphics and illustrations bring the themes, plots, characters and language of Shakespeare to life, including illustrated timelines which offer an at-a-glance summary of the action for each play. With detailed plot summaries and an in-depth analysis of the major characters and themes, this is a brilliant, innovative exploration of the entire canon of Shakespeare plays, sonnets and poetry.

Whether you're a Shakespeare scholar or a student of the great Bard, The Little Book of Shakespeare Book offers a fuller appreciation of his phenomenal talent and lasting legacy.

200 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2018

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About the author

D.K. Publishing

9,126 books2,072 followers
Dorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.

Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.

Source: Wikipedia.

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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Profile Image for leynes.
1,317 reviews3,686 followers
August 30, 2020
This book was exactly what I wanted it to be: an overview of all of Shakespeare's work, spanning from his time as a freelance writer over his time as the Lord Chamberlain's Man to his final years as the King's Man.

Easy-to-understand graphics and illustrations bring the themes, plots, characters and language of Shakespeare to life, including illustrated timelines which offer an at-a-glance summary of the action for each play. With detailed plot summaries and a brief analysis of the major characters and themes, this is a brilliant, innovative exploration of the entire canon of Shakespeare plays, sonnets and poetry.

I had so much fun exploring the Bard's work, regardless of whether I had read the works myself or not. Right now I know exactly what to expect when delving further into his works. I'm already mentally bracing myself for the boring plots of his histories that I have yet to read (Henry VI, Part 1-3, I am looking at you). But this book also managed to pique my interest in some of his plays, I'm most looking forward to reading The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Love's Labour's Lost.

And even though I wouldn't count Shakespeare's sonnets and A Lover's Complaint among my favourites, I cannot wait to delve further into his narrative poems such as Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece.

This book is by no means suited for Shakespearian scholars or students who look for never-seen-before/in-depth analysis and commentary of his work, it's for the casual reader who reads Shakespeare for fun and wants to have a little insight into the plays' context, sources and main themes. It's a super useful book of reference that I'll definitely come back to from time to time to refresh my memory on certain plays and prepare myself for the reading of new ones.
Profile Image for Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive).
2,497 reviews57 followers
March 21, 2020
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

This little book of Shakespeare plans to discuss all his plays and his sonnets in general over the space of 200 pages. Therefore, of everything there is only a little bit of information. A short synopsis of each play and a very short analysis. Obviously, these aren't very deep.

I feel this book works best for readers who sometimes want to refresh on play or another every now and then.
Profile Image for Isabel.
79 reviews5 followers
October 18, 2024
All of Shakespeare’s plays & key quotes!

1589-1594 Freelance Writer

1. The Two Gentlemen of Verona 
1. In love, who respects friend? 
2. The Taming of the Shrew 
1. I know now how to tame a shrew
3. Henry VI Part 2 
1. The commons, like an angry hive of bees that want their leader, scatter up and down 
4. Henry VI Part 3 
1. I can smile, and murder whiles I smile 
5. Henry VI Part 1
1. This brawl today… shall send, between the red rose and the white, a thousand souls to death and deadly night 
6. Titus Andronicus 
1. Why, there they are, both baked in this pie 
7. Richard III 
1. Made glorious summer by this son of York 
8. Edward III  
1. To die is all as common as to live 
9. The Comedy of Errors 
1. What error drives our eyes and ears amiss? 
10. Venus and Adonis 
1. Huntinghe loved, but love he laughed to scorn 
11. The Rape of Lucrece 
1. Who buys a minute’s mirth to wail a week 


1594-1603 Lord Chamberlain’s Man

12. Love Labour’s Lost
1. Who can sever love from charity? 
13. Richard II
1. Down, down I come, like glist’ring Phaeton 
14. Romeo and Juliet
1.  A pair of star-crossed lovers
15. A Midsummer Night’s Dream
1. The course of true love never did run smooth
16. The Life and Death of King John
1. There is no sure fountain set on blood 
17. The Merchant of Venice
1. If you prick us, do we not bleed 
18. Henry IV Part 1
1. Honor is a mere scutcheon 
19. The Merry Wives of Windsor
1. Wives may be merry, and yet honest, too
20. Henry IV Part 2
1. We have heard the chimes at midnight
21. Much Ado About Nothing
1. Out on thee, seeming! I will write against it 
22. Henry V 
1. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more
23. Julius Caesar 
1. There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune 
24. As You Like It
1. All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players
25. Hamlet
1. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
26. Twelfth Night
1. Youth’s a stuff will not endure
27. Troilus and Cressida
1. War and lechery confound all
28. Shakespeare’s Sonnets
1. I scorn to change my state with kings
29. A Lover’s Complaint 
1. That false fire which in his cheek so glowed
30. The Phoenix and Turtle
1. Truth and beauty buried be 
31. Sir Thomas More
1. With selfsame hand, self reasons, and self right, would shark on you 


1603-1613 The King’s Man

32. Measure for Measure 
1. Man, proud man, dressed in a little brief authority
33. Othello “Beware my lord of jealousy. It is the green eye’d monster”
34. King Lear “a man more sinned against sinning”
35. Timon of Athens “the middle or humanity thou never newest, but the extremity of both ends”
36. Macbeth “Blood will have blood”
37. Anthony and Cleopatra “Age cannot wither her nor custom stale / Her infinite variety”
38. All’s Well that Ends Well “the web of our life is a mingled yarn, good and ill together”
39. Pericles, Prince of Tyre “ this world to me is like a lasting storm, whirring me to my friends”
40. Coriolanus “What is the city but the people?”
41. The Winter’s Tale “thou Mayest with things dying I wish things newborn”
42. Cymbeline “Hang there like fruit, my soul till the tree die”
43. The Tempest “We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with sleep”
44. Henry VIII “Farewell along, farewell to all my greatness!”
45. The Noble Kinsmen “is there a record of any two that loved better than we do, Arcite?”
Profile Image for Baahlina.
10 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2022
This book is exactly what it claims to be. A summary of all of Shakespeare’s plays, ordered chronologically. It further examines the themes and historical backgrounds of the play. As a student of Shakespeare, this is the perfect reference book. The only thing I have to criticise is that the summaries can be a bit confusing. If you’re not already familiar with the plays in question, the summaries probably won’t help you a lot.
Profile Image for Terri.
865 reviews4 followers
August 1, 2019
I good way to learn something about all of Shakespeare's works.
Profile Image for Sarah.
54 reviews10 followers
January 4, 2020
Meh. Too much information in tiny typed formants.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews

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