-see my "Macbeth" review ( )

I'm rarely let down by an Arden edition, but this one is almost the exception. No, that's being too cruel, but...

As always, the quality of the text, the depth of the notes, the discussion of editorial issues, and the bibliography are immaculate. You couldn't ask for a greater scholarly resource and overall "cheat sheet" to one of the Bard's works. At the same time, the introduction is a rare letdown for this series. Overall, the Ardens inhabit an awkward gray area between scholarly pursuits - reading in to every line, letter, and semi-colon - and general accessibility. Inevitably when examining a work at this level of detail, academia will rear its ugly head. At the same time, the Arden editors have wisely made each introduction an overall analysis, leaving the more scholarly notes for the bibliography. After all, this kind of opaque discussion is more the purview of scholarly articles and papers rather than published editions of the play. The massive bibliographies are vital, and they lead those of us with scholarly minds down that path. Unfortunately, this work is dry and hermeneutic from page one. (This might seem like a silly complaint, but when these introductions clock in at 150 dense pages, it's important they work well.)

So, I can't complain about the high standard of the text, but unfortunately I'll be seeking out alternative "Twelfth Night" editions for an overview. ( )

I have to admire Shakespeare's glib language, it really can be extraordinary, even if most of his plots (that I've read so far) leave me underwhelmed. I have to put in another recommendation for the No Fear Shakespeare series, which has the original text on the left page and modern English on the right. It's indispensable. ( )

I’m seeing this in a couple days, and I familiarized myself with it by going to a friend’s Shakespeare party. I laughed a lot, sitting around a campfire, reading through Twelfth Night with a fun-loving group of people. I recommend this method to everyone.

I don’t have deep thoughts about the play, but I expect to have a blast when I see it performed. I loved all the mischief with Maria and co.

The edition I read from is a Folger’s edition, which I like because for each page from the play, there’s a facing page that explains terminology. Quite handy! These editions also come with essays and a history section about Shakespeare and the theatre scene at the time. ( )

بهترین کمدی‌ای که از شکسپیر خوندم تا الآن این نمایشنامه است. ساختار منظم و قوی‌ای داشت با اینکه ایده همون ایده‌ی جابجایی افراد بود. ( )