Hamlet (The Annotated Shakespeare)

Easy read for school

It's difficult to critique a work that is widely considered to be the best piece produced by the greatest author who ever lived.To put it in simple terms, I did enjoy Hamlet for the most part. Once I got used to the language and re-familiarized myself with reading a script, the story flowed very well. My only real complaint was that the format took a bit out of the climactic finale for me. I feel that it would have read much better in a novel format.Shakespeare has written one of the most compelling tragedies ever in Hamlet, and his plot and character development are topnotch. Hamlet's downward spiral into madness is classically done. All said, a must read.

Hamlet doesn't need my recommendation. However, it does need a conveniant, easy commentary or translation. This version of the annotated Shakespeare is very difficult to read, the annotations explain only part of the difficult words and sentences, and not neccessarily the most difficult. The tablet makes things worse as the annotations don't appear on the same page you're reading, as in the printed version. Rather, you must switch over to a different location. Of course it enhances the hardship.

Good annotated edition for students who are not too familiar with Shakespeare and his English. My students like it and found it easy to read. The notes are mainly for vocabulary, but there are a useful introduction and an essay by Harold Bloom. You cannot get wrong with that. If the aim of the reading is to become familiar with the text, it fits the bill; if you are looking for a scholarly edition, heavily annotated edition, there might be other options.

The best thing I've ever read, other than the bible. Raffel does a good job of helping you along with his language notes, while keeping the book compact. If you are a Shakespeare newbie, and don't mind a much thicker book, I would recommend the Barnes and Noble edition, which uses the left-hand pages for extensive language notes: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hamlet-william-shakespeare/1116670752?ean=9781411400344

This is as thorough a reference copy of Hamlet as the layperson could want. The introduction and annotations are extremely helpful in helping to grasp the cultural and historical influences on the text from its writing to now, and the discussion of the production's changes is fascinating. A good reference for someone teaching it to an advanced high school class or for someone reading it for pleasure.

This is a great piece of literature!! I enjoyed having the annotations to explain the Elizabethan English sayings that can be confusing at times. Big Shakespeare Fan.

It's exactly what you pay for, a dollar version of Hamlet if you will. It's all water stained and wrinkly but it's all there, and gets the job done.

Edición indispensable para estudio, y con un buen ensayo de Bloom.

The layout and annotations are great, but the numbers pointing to them impede the readability of the text. These are mere vestiges of the past that may be needed in a paperback edition but are simply counter productive in digital editions. SO in the end have kind of a mixed opinion about the quality of the digital edition honestly. I find it bearable but quite distracting though.