Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare

Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare, by Isaac Asimov, vols I and II (1970), ISBN 0-517-26825-6; Maps by the artist Rafael Palacios.

This work gives a short guide to every Shakespeare play, and also his two epic poems. Asimov organizes the plays as follows:

• Greek
• Roman
• Italian
• The English Plays

The last two categories are treated broadly; 'Italian' applies to neighbouring countries, and both Hamlet and Macbeth are listed with 'The English Plays'. Asimov gives a detailed justification for doing this.

Within each category, the plays are arranged chronologically, making allowance for the several not based on actual events. Asimov notes how much is real history, and describes who the original people were, where applicable. He traces those characters who appear in more than one play, and provides maps to explain key geographical elements.

Asimov's approach is not popular with some readers' prejudices:

"Fans of Asimov's science-fiction generally have little taste for door-stopper books such as Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare or The Shaping of England, and specialists are never happy to see clever outsiders make hay in their fields." (The Tragedy of Isaac Asimov)

However, the book remains popular and useful, and the paperback edition remains in print.

Publication data

Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare, vols I and II (1970), ISBN 0-517-26825-6. Gramercy Books.

Nearly 800 pages long plus an index, the work was originally published in two volumes; Greek, Roman and Italian in the first and 'The English Plays' in the second.

Asimov dedicated the work to his father, Judah Asimov.

External links

• Amazon reviews