King Lear (Macmillan Collector's Library) Hardcover – August 23, 2016

After a few decade hiatus, I’ve been reading (or re-reading, as in this case) the works of Shakespeare. Principle themes in King Lear involve the aging process, “letting go,” and the (seemingly inevitable) dissent among the children, particularly if some money is involved. These are all eternal themes, and Shakespeare has set a good “benchmark.”Lear has made it four score years; frailty, mental and physical have set in. Like so many, he wants to ensure his “legacy.” He has three daughters, Cordelia, Regan and Goneril. He asks each to profess their love for him. The latter two are profuse in their praise, as well as hypocritical. Cordelia is neither, but she is true in her love, and is disinherited for her efforts. She will go on to marry the King of France. And this sets in motion forces that will lead to literal war among the three daughters and their husbands.There is also a major subplot, involving Edmund, who is the illegitimate son of Gloucester, and Edgar, who is legitimate. Edmund is a true villain, and successfully plots Edgar’s ejection as heir. As he says: “A credulous father! And a brother noble, whose nature is so far from doing harms, that he suspects none: on whose foolish honesty my practices ride easy. I see the business. Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit: All with me’s meet that I can fashion fit.”Some other memorable quotes that have resonated through the ages: “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child. Away, Away.” “And let not women’s weapons, water-drops, stain my man’s cheeks.” And hasn’t the following truth always been with us: “Our present business is general woe.” Concerning her father, Regan says: “Tis the infirmity of his age; yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself.”After having now read several of the tragedies, there is a very familiar trajectory to the plot, which is a very foreshortened variation of John Maynard Keynes famous quip: “In the long-run, we are all dead.” In Lear, it is in the short-run of the play that virtually all the principal characters share that fate. True to form, the influence of the Greek tragedies is heavy, with the “fool” providing a useful foil, Lear is condemned to his fate by his own hubristic actions, and there is even a character, Gloucester, who is blinded, and must wander, or as one of the daughters jibs: Let him use his nose to find his way back to Dover.I continue to be impressed how these “school assignment” plays demonstrate immense insight into the human condition, and remain relevant today. However, think I am ready for a comedy, where not everyone is dead in the end, long or short-term. 5-stars.

It 's a book. it was fine.

King Lear is bleak even amongst Shakespeare’s tragedies. Not only do the just and unjust both perish but there is a pervasive sense that man is the plaything of the gods, if they peer down at all.And yet, critics also note that undoubtedly, as a result of his sufferings, Lear grows in character. The king who bestows his kingdom on two daughters because of flattery and turns out the other based on honesty is not the same person who recognizes his weaknesses and failings and stands solemnly as the true king at the end of the play.If this is so, if character transformation and morality can be the product of human effort and not divine intervention, could we not call King Lear an exercise in secular humanism? That is, when we cast off mythologies we do not cast away all moralities but see the wisdom and goodness these tales sometimes brought?It’s only an interpretation, and it may be a stretch at that, but that is the only way I can conceive of the combination of theological darkness and the depth of humanity shown in Lear. it is a brutal vision of life, tempered only by the peculiar ability of the human animal to mature and grow. Or, in short, a pre-modern version of humanism appropriate to the oft dark world that was Shakespeare’s era.

There's an amusing quote on the back from a member of some Shakespearean society about how this book is a vital tool for young readers who cannot appreciate Shakespeare. This just smacks of pretension, and is presumably a remnant of those pre-Sparknotes days when students cheated with comic books, rather than simply googling summaries as they do now. This is a fine, fine book, and a whole heck of a lot more than a mere learning tool. Shakespeare wrote play, and plays are meant to be performed, to be seen rather than read. This book reads like a unique Lear production, with Pollock's lovely art providing every element except the gorgeous prose; not a single word has been changed or omitted.Pollock has said that he took up this project for the chance to do a comic book, loving the Beano more than the Bard. I find this rather extraordinary, in that Pollock is able to capture the characters so well; his understanding of the cast suggests someone with a great passion for Lear. His talent for caricature is a beauty, his paintings capturing the broad, iconic look of the characters as well as the little subtle touches. He nails the players better than most actors have. He's also does a great job making the transition from illustrator/single-panel cartoonist to a full blown panelist. There can be a bit of a disconnect from panel to panel at times, but his compositions are always perfectly arranged; this extends from the panels to the pages as a whole, with each element carefully balanced and weighed together. Rather than the usual naturalistic flow of most comics, he treats each page as an illustration in it's entirety and avoids the usual painted comic pitfall of placing the focus upon pretty pictures that don't really tell a story.This is more than a dinky novelty; this is a superb play with virtuoso performances all around. This is some d*mn good s***, man. Buy it.

Great version for studying at A level

Brilliant - a total and devastating tragedy - a plot of greed, loyalty and lust. A tale of sadness and love which shuttles out of control to heartbreak, suicidal declaration, despair and wasteful deaths.

This is ideal as an aid memoir for anyone studying the text in depth especially if you're dyslexic and struggling to understand the bare text

Perfect Shakespeare as always. These books are fantastic value for money.

it's perfect for the use of a student, it has the play, a glossary of words, an explanation of words alongside the play, context, and themes and ideas on the play. It makes being a student easy