Ranking six Shakespeare editions for beginner readers like me!

[@GraceRay-b9m]

Thank you, Nicole, for this video. I think what you talk about in this video is so important and relevant. I only have experience of Arden and Penquin editions. Penguin is cheaper, and it is what schools recommend for students. The essays are more approachable than the Arden's. Arden's essays are excellent, but you are right in saying you need to be more familiar with the plays before you can make sense of them. The only thing about Penquin is that the pages tend to turn yellow quite quickly, and they also tend to fall apart. Another annoying thing to me is that the print goes so close to the spine of the book, and it is so difficult to read as you have to force the book to really open. I like books with the print, which is not too small, and I like empty space in the margins for me to scribble notes. Arden got the print and adequate margins for me, but yes, it doesn't stay open. It has excellent essays, and I prefer a heavier book but not too heavy. The book has a good feel when I'm holding it. I guess Arden is a compromise. I seldom read the introduction, but I prefer to dive straight into the book. The few times I did that, I found the introduction took me too long to read, and I am impatient. I also find I can not follow it properly because it is discussing the play I haven't read, and I definitely don't like spoilers. So, I tend to read the introduction after I read the play, which begs the question of why it is called introduction. I will try the Oxford School edition now that you mention it. And I have to say the cover matters to me too. I don't think I ever buy a book because I like the cover. Am I too sensible? I base that choice on the title, the summary I read at the back, and the reviews, may they be from critics or readers though I find some critics' reviews are too academic and elitist for me. Then I will go and choose the cover I like. If I can not find a cover I like or find acceptable to me, I may delay buying the book another time. Sometimes, I even prefer to spend a little bit more for the book to get the right cover, that is, if and when I can afford it. My reasoning is that this book will probably stay on my bookshelves for years and be my companion for a long, long time, so it has to be just right. On a frivolous note, I really like your haircut. It suits you perfectly.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hello again :) I 100% agree with you about introduction! So glad you feel that way too. I’m also very happy you are particular about book covers. It’s always extra pleasant when I find the book I want with a beautiful cover ;) Haha thank you!

[@catherineessery9395]

Thank you Nicole. I wish that I had had a tutor like you when I studied English Literature at uni all those years ago. You would make a brilliant teacher. Catherine x

[@adayofsmallthings]

Aww that’s so kind. I haven’t thought about it that way before haha I thought I was just being geeky. Thanks for the encouragement!

[@muskndusk]

For adult general readers reading Shakespeare, I'd recommend the individual Folger editions. For students in higher education, the Arden Shakespeare. If you are used to reading Shakespeare and want a decent, economical complete works, I'd recommend the ebook version of the Delphi Classics Complete Works of Shakespeare. I have this on my Kobo Libra 2, but it can also be put on a kindle. It costs around £2.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thanks for the recommendations! I haven’t come across the Delphi Classics Complete Works of Shakespeare. It sounds great!

[@Ravenmancerr]

I’ve read Folger Hamlet and lived the reading experience. The section summaries are great for getting your footing and the essay at the end wrapped up the story very well in my mind. I’m reading the Arden King Lear now and skipped the intro because of reasons you said but I’ll go back and read through that after I finish the play. It’s less ergonomic to read compared to Folger but I have been liking the more detailed notes. Folger does have expanded notes in the back but didn’t use those. Thanks for your video. I am very interested in the Oxford school editions now!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hello! You’re most welcome. Thanks for sharing your experience with the different editions. I need to try them out more! How fortunate we are to have access to all these amazing editions :)

[@richardreed2323]

Hey, Nicole, I am very happy to have found your video. KZbin offered you to me, probably because I have searched for BookTubers who talk about Shakespeare. I knew I was going to love your channel just after a couple of minutes of watching this video. Your organization and your intelligence and your values. I think we value many of the same things. I love the three aspects of these editions that you chose to discuss and evaluate. They are the ones I thought most important too. At the moment, I am reading the Arden editions. I think they have the best notes on the text, the part on the page below Shakespeare’s words. Also, the binding is so good. I don’t know how they do it. I have been so bold as to bend the covers 360 degrees, that is, to fold it all the way so that I can hold it one hand and read a single page at a time. At first, I was afraid to do this because I thought I would break the book in two. I don’t usually comment on KZbin, but I worry you might stop. I want to encourage you.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hi Richard, very nice meeting you, thanks for stopping by and thanks for the kind words :) So glad you read Shakespeare. I will not give up the Arden edition altogether don't worry. I think I'll benefit it more as I get to know the plays better and better. Yes the books are very good quality - for such thick books they're remarkable!

[@richardreed2323]

@@adayofsmallthingsI was not worried about your giving up on the Arden edition. I didn’t express myself clearly. I am worried that you will stop making videos. I wanted to encourage you to continue because they mean so much to me.

[@adayofsmallthings]

@@richardreed2323 I see, don't worry I don't plan to stop making videos and I do feel encouraged when receiving messages like yours! Thanks so much!

[@anthonythorne8708]

Lovely video Nicole. I'm not fond of small fonts or shiny paper so your detailed observations are really helpful. The book 'The Rough Guide to Shakespeare' (which I think was reprinted as 'The Globe Guide to Shakespeare') has a really great comparison for each play between different editions, comparing which ones had their favourite essays. They vary quite a bit. You have a very calm and likeable approach in explaining these things.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you! That’s so kind. I’m glad it’s helpful. I haven’t come across the Rough Guide to Shakespeare. It sounds great. I just searched it and can preview a few pages on Google Books. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@oc2538]

I feel the same way about introductions. If I have to read 5+ pages then I will most likely abandon ship. An essay at the end is better. I had a huge collection of Folger's plays back in 200-2006 but I moved and couldn't afford to bring them. I want to build up a Shakespeare library again. This was very helpful! 📚🩷

[@adayofsmallthings]

Yes Folger is nice like that. Oh no! That must have been heart breaking :'( Thank you :) glad you found it helpful

[@purplegherkins198]

Thank you so much for this video. It's very well put together and incredibly helpful

[@adayofsmallthings]

You're most welcome - so glad to hear it's helpful!

[@MrToryhere]

I recommend the Pelican Shakespeare which is published by Penguin. Each play comes in a small paperback that stays open when laid flat. These books all have very good introductions for the general reader.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Sounds great - will look out for them - thanks for sharing!

[@novelideea]

I only own the Folger editions of the plays. I own his sonnets in the Barnes and Noble classic edition. I love both! This was just in time for Shaketember! I used the Folgers with my kids when they were in their Shakespeare studies and they grasped things well. We often went to Shakespeare in the Park after reading the play they would be performing! I think that is what helped me most with Shakespeare, watching them acted out, hearing it spoken and seeing the action brought the appropriate laughter or gasp!

[@adayofsmallthings]

I've never known the Barnes and Noble edition, just searched it, I love the bold typography on the covers! Not sure if they're available in the UK. Ah, Shaketember, I haven't made up my mind if I will join in. Now you mentioned it I'll think about it again. Yes totally agree, watching plays has become a new passion of mine. I just went to Stratford upon Avon this week!! - will share more hopefully in a vlog :)

[@novelideea]

@@adayofsmallthings that is so exciting, Nicole! Stratford upon Avon is one thing I would like to do in England. I’d also love to see a play performed at the Globe.

[@adayofsmallthings]

@@novelideea Hope you're able to come to England and visit soon!

[@keriford54]

Thanks, that was really helpful & well presented, I buy a lot of my books online so I was very glad you showed the layout so clearly, this let me know which ones would work for me. I agree with you regarding the oxford editions, also I find the footnotes often take up more of the page than the main text and that always gives me the impression that you're studying the text rather than enjoying it as a good read, it puts me off. I actually like reading older copies and illustrated versions, but I have just ordered a RSC version of the Henry VI plays after watching this (I don't write on my copies so the paper stock looked good to me).

[@adayofsmallthings]

Glad you find it helpful! Yes that's exactly how I feel as well - when there are so many notes I end up spending more time reading the notes! Has RSC Henry VI arrived? I realised after filming the video that some RSC editions have glossy paper some have normal paper. I hope you enjoy the essays!

[@keriford54]

@@adayofsmallthings No Henry VI hasn't arrived yet, not sure when it's due, but one of the things about living in New Zealand is that items are often sourced from the US or UK and because we're geographically so far away they can take about a month to arrive. I had read most of my Shakespeare from an old illustrated copy of the complete words that my parents used to have. But I realised it's just too awkward to read being such large books, so I have finally got around to buying individual volumes at least of my favourites, it also inspires me to read them again.

[@adayofsmallthings]

@@keriford54 oh ok, that's a long time to wait, I wonder if that makes you a super patient person or if it just makes people very frustrated? Building your own collection - exciting :)

[@Diana-mu7pc]

@@keriford54 Nerdy question, but who was the illustrator of that complete works set, if you can recall? My local library growing up had one from the 1930s illustrated by Rockwell Kent. I've had my 1973 Riverside Shakespeare for many years, and loved it, but as it gets older and more 'worn' (loved) (but I am afraid to keep opening it and using it as roughly as I once did), I decided to buy a newer 2022 RSC second edition of the complete works. However, since I decided to myself it was acceptable for me to own more than one complete works, I keep looking on eBay at the Rockwell Kents... and being tempted. (⊙_⊙;) The heart wants what the heart wants.

[@keriford54]

@@Diana-mu7pc Not Rockwell Kent, I'll look those up, my old complete set says illustrated with engravings on wood from designs by Kenny Meadows. I've now got a lot of individual editions too, some with illustrations some not, they'll be a variety of different illustrators but can't go past Arthur Rackham for Midsummer Night's Dream. edit: Just looked at some Rockwell Kent illustrations, they're good, they look kind of modernist.

[@OfftheShelf-n9x]

I love my Riverside Shakespeare. It provides interesting essays with no overlap because it’s an all in one Shakespeare edition. There are lots of good reasons to collect the plays one by one, but the oversight of a complete edition has value.

[@adayofsmallthings]

ooh interesting I haven't come across that edition. yes I'm sure the consistent editing method for the whole body of works is useful. I'll be looking out for it and have a flick through if I manage to find one. Thanks for mentioning it!

[@patrickrutledge8347]

Thanks Nicole, a very helpful video. I'm about to start reading King Lear and was looking for edition recommendations. I'm probably going to go with the Penguin classics because I read most of my classic novels in Penguin. And yes definitely two bookmarks are a must..😊. Thanks again.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy King Lear!

[@Gonzalo_Broto]

Very informative video, Nicole (not to mention the beautiful background)! I absolutely agree with you regarding the explanatory essays, they should always appear at the end, after the work, as additional material, rather than at the beginning as an introduction. I have a couple of Signet editions, and, despite being too small and thus not so beautiful nor comfortable, I like that they have the explanatory notes at the bottom of each page and not as an appendix at the end as some other editions do. Greetings!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hello! Glad you think the same about the essays :) I haven’t come across Signet edition. I’m intrigued!

[@BC-vu6wb]

​@@adayofsmallthings Signet's appendices are good if you're interested in Shakespeare's sources for the play and classic 17th-20th century commentaries on the play in question, but the scholarship might not be as cutting edge as Arden or Oxford. Also if you're planning to read other early modern/English Renaissance playwrights other than Shakespeare (e.g. Jonson, Middleton, Marlowe, etc), I think New Mermaids might be a good happy medium based on the criteria you present here: rigorous introductions covering themes and historical contexts without being as long or dense as Arden's, footnotes that help interpret references and stage directions (whereas I find Oxford's tend to be more lexicography), being generally affordable and easy to hold and read.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hi@@BC-vu6wb thanks so much for the message! I’ve heard of Signet edition but haven’t come across it in the UK, online or in shops - will be looking out for it in secondhand shops - would love to give it a try. I’d love to read English Renaissance playwrights! I might actually set it as one of my reading goals for 2024. So thanks so much for recommending New Mermaids. I’ve never heard it before and I just searched - they are available in the UK - hurray! And according to your description they sound perfect! Look forward to getting my hands on those :) Thank you!

[@gl4621]

Excellent informative vlog! I have never been too motivated to read Shakespeare With the exception of having read Romeo and Juliet in high school I have never read Shakespeare. However you have inspired this average reader to make an attempt. Thank you so much for your excellent breakdown and review of the different editions. I love that! I think that helps the reader so much in deciding which version or in many versions to buy! Looking for to many more of your wonderful videos!

[@adayofsmallthings]

That’s wonderful to hear, I’m so glad you’re happy to give Shakespeare a try! Glad you like the video. Shaketember is starting in one day. It’s be fun if you’d like to join :)

[@the-clown-connoisseur]

Amazing video! Im also very new to Shakespeare; I've only read from the Folger editons but i love them! it makes it so comprehensive to read.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you! I have tried a few plays in Folger edition since, it’s great, I enjoyed them very much.

[@lisainbookland]

Great comparison! The Oxford Shakespeare editions are lovely in front at least even if they won’t stay open! I do love how the Penguins read and stay open. It does baffle me when books have glossy paper but black and white images, surely it would be worth the cost! I’ve not read much Shakespeare at all, the few I do have are my old school editions. The scene by scene analysis is really useful. I’m rereading Hamlet next month but I definitely won’t be reading eight extra essays - that is a huge copy. It’s rare I’ve seen with extra reading but I think its brilliant, the summary of what its about! So simple but excellent idea. I generally only read more scholastic essays of books I really, really enjoy - I wouldn’t be as analytical as you with reading. I’m sure you’ve mentioned and I’ve missed it - but do you have an academic background in literature? What a great school exercise re the corridor, if you had the right class of course! I don’t think my English class in school would have been able to do it seriously :-D

[@adayofsmallthings]

I would have loved it if I had a teacher like that but I didn’t either… ah well I didn’t study English literature or anything related. There was one module on British and American literature in my uni but I didn’t take it! Hope you enjoy rereading Hamlet :) Thanks for watching all the way through!

[@deirdre108]

This was very good! I'm rather partial to the Folger editions mainly because of their layout--love where they place the annotations. They are also readily available used and they are quite inexpensive. I also don't need an edition with a half-dozen essays and the Folger meets that requirement too. Also, I might recommend (unless you are already doing this) to watch a production of the play (KZbin is good for that) you are reading. I usually read the play first and then watch it although I often watch and read a second time concurrently. Again, thanks!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you and pleasure! Yes I’ve tried a few Folger since the video and enjoyed the experience very much. I agree - I do try to watch the plays when it’s possible. And yes I read them multiple times too to get the most out of it :)

[@RachaelsReadingNook]

You have such a beautiful background, I love the plants and bookshelves! 😊Great video, I'm not a big Shakespeare reader but this is very helpful

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you :) I feel very lucky to have a space like this, glad you like the look of it! Thanks for stopping by :)

[@CravenBC24]

Thank you for a very useful and interesting video. I can see why you favour the Oxford Schools edition. But maybe when you’re more familiar with the plays, the Oxford or Arden will prove useful for further study. As far as the Oxford Shakespeare edition is concerned, many of the original hardbacks (which I bought as they came out) can now be had for under £20, some under £10. The main point is that these are printed on a cream or off-white paper and will lie flat. They have purple dust jackets. However, be sure to prefer the original printings (1980s to early 2000s), as the later print-on-demand versions are basically the paperback text block in hard laminated boards and you’ll be no better off.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hello, glad to hear you find the video useful :) Yes I'm sure I'll make use of Oxford and Arden more. Will look out for the original printings of the Oxford edition. Thanks for sharing!

[@Lu.G.]

So helpful! I have yet to delve into the world of Shakespeare. 😬

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you, glad you find it helpful! It’s quite a wonderful world :)

[@hazelsun8493]

Great video, very helpful. I usually go with the Arden editions but after watching this, I am thinking of also checking out some of the others.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you, so glad it’s helpful! Hope you find some new favourites :)

[@anilsbawa]

Thank you so much, Nicole. I look forward to buying a Folger edition for all the plays I have not read. I have only read Romeo and Juliet and Merchant of Venice. Always look forward to your postings ever since I discovered your blogs. Blessings 😇🌞💐

[@adayofsmallthings]

You’re most welcome! Folger does look good doesn’t it! Hope you’ll like it. That’s so encouraging to hear. Thanks so much for the kind words :)

[@barn_ninny]

This is really helpful. Thanks!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Pleasure :) glad it was helpful!

[@sterlingreads547]

Thank you for sharing this! It’s very helpful. I’m brand new to Shakespeare. I’m reading my first next month but it’s a No Fear of King Lear so that should help me along. 😊

[@adayofsmallthings]

You’re most welcome, glad you find it helpful! Hope you’ll enjoy King Lear next month. Just out of curiosity, what makes you start reading Shakespeare?

[@sterlingreads547]

I feel like I’m missing out. So many people discuss him and I don’t have an opinion because I’ve never read anything by him. If he really was the author. I guess that’s a theory some people have. I watched the movie Anonymous and it peaked my curiosity also. Either way I’m looking forward to reading him.

[@adayofsmallthings]

@@sterlingreads547 yes agree many authors in history quoted him or referenced him in their works. If you can get hold of an audiobook or an radio performance of some sort, it’ll be great to listen to - I find listening to a play super enjoyable. Have fun!

[@eeshitapotter]

Thank you! It was super helpful 😁

[@adayofsmallthings]

Pleasure! So glad to hear it's helpful :)

[@emmavd]

Another great video, Nicole, thank you!🌷Shakespeare is my favourite author and I’ve read (and seen performed) almost all his plays. For my degree, many years ago, I had to study the Arden edition of the plays, and I’ve just gone on buying the rest of them in the course of the years. I now have them all 😊📚. I agree with all you say about this edition though: the huge introductory section (part of it also deals with performance history) and the bulk of the footnotes may feel a bit overwhelming and even discouraging. Not all volumes are as thick as Hamlet, but, especially those in the third series, can be rather heavy indeed. I wanted to mention that also Cambridge University Press has a series of all Shakespeare plays. I only own The Tempest, my favourite play, in the CUP edition (next to the Arden of course😊). It has a larger format, a long introduction with a lot of pictures (the Arden second series I have, has none) and lengthy footnotes.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hi! Thanks for the comment! I’d love one day to be able to say Shakespeare is my favourite author like you do. Still a long journey to go but I’m enjoying it very much. I hope one day I’ll be fascinated by the essays in the Arden editions as well! That’ll be a milestone. Yes I’ve seen some Cambridge editions, just never got any yet. I still have many plays to read, I’m sure I’ll get a Cambridge edition at some point. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!

[@emmavd]

@@adayofsmallthings Hi Nicole! It’s been my pleasure. I love how Shakespeare’s characters feel still very much alive four centuries later. Reading his work and watching his plays is for me one of the great joys of life.

[@adayofsmallthings]

@@emmavd :)

[@ofgodzeus]

I'm really astonished the oxford shakespeare is stiff. One of the reasons the oxford edition is my absolute favorite when it comes to classics is the fact that it's super flexible and has this creamy color to it (with the exception of War and Peace among the ones I own).

[@adayofsmallthings]

Yes it’s very strange! maybe they are printed by a different factory 🤔

[@rlavassaur5333]

You are ambitious! All those editions.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Do you mean I was ambitious to compare all six editions? Haha I was probably a bit too ambitious. I feel like I need to do an update on that video when I know the different editions better :)

[@cafepoem189]

Thank you for showing great content!🙏

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you!

[@Evandroelm]

Very good video! Thank you very much!

[@adayofsmallthings]

You’re most welcome, glad you like it!

[@Paromita_M]

Very interesting and informative video.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you! Glad you think so :)

[@jacky1032]

Which version do you think is the best for the book Richard III?🙂

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hello! I used Folger for Richard III. It was good. No complaints. In general I still prefer the Oxford school edition personally. There are a lot of space to think and write notes. I used Arden recently for Othello, the editor’s voice dominated a bit in the notes. He didn’t just explain the facts but gave his opinion on things. It felt like he competed for my attention from Shakespeare if you know what I mean? I didn’t like it. But if you want to know scholars opinions, the Arden is robust. Sorry it’s long. Hope it helps!

[@jacky1032]

@@adayofsmallthings thank you very much for your answer,and I wish you a happy new year🙂 What is your opinion on the Oxford theory? This is the best video on that topic: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/haGpiXdmbMSBj8k

[@llo4213]

Super helpful! Thank you :)

[@adayofsmallthings]

My pleasure!

[@NitinYadav-f3q]

Totally agree with you, Oxford School Shakespeare is best. I also have copies of all these editions except RSC.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Glad to hear you like it too :)

[@jayesh7458]

Can you please share the link of these books to buy?

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hi I bought most of them either at Waterstones or Blackwells. Not sure which country you're in. Hopefully you can find the equivalent. www.waterstones.com blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/home

[@SlightlySusan]

There is a debate over whether type faces with serifs are easier to read than type face without serifs. I think a more valid obstruction to reading any book is space between the lines of type. Yikes! When the lines are too close to each other, the serifs then make the pages too busy, too tight. With sufficient spacing between the lines of type, whether or not serifs are present does not matter.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Serif, sans serif and line spacing! Agree, I don’t like tightly packed pages either. So glad you care about type setting things as well :D

[@larrybowe774]

Nice approach but surely you are comparing apples and oranges? If you had taken "Hamlet" for instance and compared each edition the size, introduction, comments, etc., it would be meaningful, but using a cross section of Shakespeare's works side-by -side has little meaning. Yes, your comments as to paper quality, presentation, illustrations etc., is well taken and good observations. Paperback Hamlet in all editions is fairly large; it is a long play (penguin 400 pages, Arden 300 etc.,) this is due primarily to the complex history of the play, the “Ur-Hamlet” provenance etc., is very extensive each edition reflects at various lengths. The introductions vary depending on the scholarship with Penguin edition with Ann Barton is a study unto itself, while other are less thorough. Like most things each edition has its own pros and cons. Keep up the good work!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Yes I thought about the fact that they’re all different plays but that’s all I’ve got for now, so yes, apologies for comparing apples and oranges! Agree, a lot more to explore, they all have pros and cons! Thank you :)

[@larrybowe774]

@@adayofsmallthings Thanks Nicole, You will find as you explore the world of Shakespeare in the myriad editions out there that scholarship is all over the map as to notes and commentary which are the key for me. The play is the play with usually no great liberties taken there so only major differences will occur in the scholarship appended therein. Composition of the book by edition as you said is a personal preference. My personal favourites in general are Penguin and Arden in the single volume editions and the RSC in the complete collections. Good luck!

[@adayofsmallthings]

@@larrybowe774 Yes I look forward to getting to know the different editions better as I learn :) thank you ~

[@hoplanson2346]

Arden Shakespeare is better. But RSC, Norton , Signet and No Fear by SparkNotes are good for beginners. Of course, reading Shakespeare is not as good as going to see performance! In China, I encourage students to play characters or go see a stage play!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Agree! There’s nothing quite like watching Shakespeare in theatre! I’ve never done this myself but I’m sure playing a role will be wonderfully memorable too :)