Review by Choice Review
This revised second edition of The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare preserves many of the strengths and weaknesses of the first edition (CH, May'02, 39-5056), though publishing conventions and the needs and resources of research libraries have evolved significantly. The volume has much for neophytes and introductory students, but of necessity provides the sparsest of starting points. Many of the entries are brief to the point of unhelpfulness, and readers could certainly find as much and more with a simple Internet search. Some of the longer entries offer a nice balance of weight and concision. The preface to this edition states that the updated material focuses on "new discoveries in theatre archaeology and history," and that the coverage extends to "several major film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays and many innovative stage productions." Most helpful are the updated guides to further reading and the new entries "exploring Shakespeare's digital presence." And therein hangs a tale: the new material, though it brings the volume "up to speed," does not warrant the expense for those that already possess an earlier edition. The entire enterprise would make much more sense as a digital resource, where updates could be made incrementally as need be, and thus better and more efficiently managed and delivered. Summing Up: Optional. Comprehensive collections only. --Duke Pesta, University of Wisconsin--Oshkosh
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
