The Late Romances: Pericles, Cymbeline, the Winter's Tale, the Tempest

By William Shakespeare

Book Overview

Pericles The first of Shakespeare's late romances moves spectacularly from one dramatic period to another as the hero, Pericles, sails off to adventure and love, and experiences what for him is a miracle. Cymbeline A favorite romantic drama, this play of a wife unjustly accused of faithlessness moves from a world of intrigue and slander to one of reconciliation and forgiveness, and contains two of Shakespeare's most poignantly beautiful songs. The Winter's Tale From a darkly melodramatic beginning to a joyous pastoral ending, this romance of a jealous king and his long-suffering queen is superb entertainment, with revelations, plot twists, and a final compelling theatrical moment of discovery. The Tempest This tale of the exiled Duke of Milan, marooned on an enchanted island, is so richly filled with music and magic, romance and comedy, that its theme of love and reconciliation offers a splendid feast for the senses and the heart.

• Format: Unknown Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553212885
• ISBN13: 9780553212884
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 848 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 4.1" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Very readable

A good collection to have. It seems as if people have the basic Shakespearean tales, but these are some of his best and many people don't know about them. They are easy to read - uncumbersome. Wonderful for the classroom.

Shakespeare's Romantic Fairy Tales

This edition includes Pericles, a prince who solves a riddle given by a king and is pursued because he discovers a terrible secret; Cymbeline, a story about Rome battling England with the memorable heroine, Imogen, and her jealous husband Posthumous. Happy Ending, but Imogen deserves better; Winter's Tale tells the story of incredibly Jealous husband Leontes and his suffering wife/heroine Hermione. A fairy tale to be told on a Winter's Eve; Tempest, a story of an exiled Magician who lives on an island with a fairy, Ariel, his daughter, Miranda, and a beast called Caliban.All these stories are entertaining fairy tales with romantic themes. Highly recommended.

Great bindings and commentaries

We all know about Shakespeare, so a review of his writing is not required. However, I would like to say that the Everyman's Library series are worth getting. Unlike omnibus editions (such as the Riverside Shakespeare), these are actually portable so you don't need a table to hold them up while you are reading. The Everyman's Library series have good hardbindings, are conveniently sized to carry around, and have illuminating and extensive introductions. The typeface used is old, but the letters are large and easily readable (something that is a concern with some other editions).Romances contains: Pericles; Cymbeline; The Winter's Tale; The Tempest