Review by Choice Review
As Zak (emer., Salisbury Univ.) explains in the preface to his study of Shakespeare's sonnets (where he also explains the idiosyncratic spelling of Will-I-Am Shake-speare), readers will need a copy of the Quarto version of the poems in front of them since this book includes none of the full texts. This work joins other valuable, close readings and assessments of the sonnets (e.g., studies by Stephen Booth, Katherine Duncan-Jones, and Helen Vendler). The author credits the individual scholars in this long critical tradition, expanding on and arguing against some views and offering his own insights. He traces the structure and themes of the sonnets back to Plato's Symposium, through the Middle Ages, and into early modern England. Zak addresses "A Lover's Complaint" and the ambiguous "Dedication" of Shakespeare's sonnets in some detail. He analyzes a variety of subjects, including Shakespeare's conflicted views on love and hate, the procreation group, and his dark lady, and provides notes after each chapter to augment and document his research. But some of the writing is dense, disorganized, and difficult to follow, and this long book unfortunately lacks a conclusion summarizing its main arguments. Summing Up: Recommended. For comprehensive research collections. J. S. Carducci Winona State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
