PositiveLibrary Journal[Shapiro] is fascinating on textual revisions and adaptations of popular plays ... Extensive bibliographic essays round out the collection ... Chock-full of approachable and engaging critical analyses, this work will pique the curiosity of both Shakespeareans and anyone interested in American culture.
Stuart Kells
PositiveLibrary JournalKells\'s account of the search for Shakespeare\'s library leads through many fascinating bypaths of book history ... While no one has yet found Shakespeare\'s library, Kells hopes new leads may yet surface. The work takes an unfortunate detour into the Cloud Cuckoo Land of the authorship question, claiming Ben Jonson and John Florio greatly improved Shakespeare\'s mediocre plays ... Still, an enjoyable excursion into Shakespearean (and non-Shakespearean) booklore.
Leo Damrosch
PositiveLibrary JournalEnriched with well-chosen color plates and black-and-white illustrations, this is an excellent introduction to Johnson and his world for the novice and a pleasant retelling for the initiated.
Michele Mendelssohn
PositiveLibrary JournalMendelssohn shows that this anti-Irish sentiment was combined with Negrophobia, with Wilde sometimes presented in minstrel shows and posters in blackface ... Without actually justifying her book\'s title, Mendelssohn offers a solid introduction to Wilde (though the definitive biography remains Richard Ellman\'s Oscar Wilde). Her well-told account paints an unsettling picture of post-Civil War America\'s racism and xenophobia.
