A midsummer night's dream : an annotated bibliography /

Carroll (Tennessee) and Williams (Drama, Catholic University) have added another solid volume to the Garland Shakespeare Bibliographies. Comprehensive coverage begins in 1940, although major earlier works are included; references are primarily to English language works. The nearly 1,600 entries are organized chronologically in seven sections: Criticism; Sources, Background, Date; Textual Studies; Bibliographies; Editions and Translations; Adaptations, Acting Editions, Synopses, Influence; and Stage History and the Sister Arts. The annotations vary in length from a brief phrase to more than a page (usually reflecting the entry's depth of content); the Editions and Stage History entries are particularly detailed. The Stage History section is also strong in breadth of coverage: 34 major productions (with review references), films, TV productions, operas, ballets, art works, and article and book discussions of various productions. Throughout the work, cross-references are exhaustive, and the 54-page index includes authors, characters, companies, directors, theaters, actors, composers, editions, other creative works, and languages of translations. The index is weak in specific topical references, but broader subject references are included (e.g., allusions, music). An excellent addition to undergraduate and graduate collections.-R.A. Aken, University of Kentucky