My first impression upon opening the package was that these are very attractive books. My first and decidedly unimpressed exposure to the Bard of Stratford was via the ubiquitous "Signet Classic" series in all their yawn inspiring standard monochrome paperback sobriety. It was quite a different experience to be confronted with appealing contemporary graphics adorning a folio sized book. The books are very inviting, and beg to be opened and explored. I suspect that this feature alone will sell many copies. 

Resisting the temptation to "ooh" and "ahh" and the cynical utterance of " Oh, not another Shakespeare!", I began to flick through the books; eventually I slowed down and began to read sections. Slowly, I began to realise that these books could be useful in the hands of a skilled teacher and may actually be read by students. The books are constructed in such a way as to allow a variety of approaches to the text and have a number of useful elements included.

The editors have not missed the opportunity to detail the features of their books. I tend to agree that they are well constructed and the following aspects can certainly contribute to any foray into the texts -

• Introduction to the Play - the books provide useful information about the history and construction of the plays; 
• The Text - they claim that the texts are faithful to the original folio but admit that there has been some tinkering with spelling and punctuation "to make the plays more accessible to today's readers"; 
• Dramatis Personae - lists are arranged by families or loyalties;
• Scene Summaries - useful for mapping the plots; 
• Marginal Notes and Graphics - these provide explanations or depictions of words that may be unfamiliar to students (or teachers); 
• Related Readings - each book contains a variety of related readings and will certainly save time trying to find examples of intertextuality, alternate treatments of themes and issues, cross genre resources, etc. The selections appear to be carefully chosen and are referenced back to specific sections of the play text. For example, the variety of readings accompanying 'Romeo and Juliet' include a song by Mark Knopfler, the prologue from Arthur Brooke's 'Romeus and Juliet' upon which Shakespeare apparently based his play, a poem from Hans Christian Anderson, an excerpt from 'West Side Story', an essay by Peggy Ashcroft, a news article on Muslim-Jewish relations, several short stories and alternate tellings of the tale; 
• Questions and Considerations - are provided at a variety of levels including specific scenes, passages or acts and the 'big' questions. These also reflect the 'flexibility and variety' approach that the books certainly cater for. The suggested activities also fit into the same mould. [I must confess to wishing that there was a Teacher's Edition when confronting some of the "Most Challenging Questions about…" sections.] 

Verdict: A hit, a very palpable hit. 
 © Kim Flintoff