Summary of Shakespeare and the Book

Shakespeare and the Book is a book by Katherine Duncan-Jones which examines the history of William Shakespeare's books from their origins in early company repertories to their modern reception. She shows how many of the features that make Shakespeare's plays and poems so endlessly interesting are tied to their nature as books: the transgressive use of language, the presence of characters that seem like modern people, and the emotional power of the stories. Duncan-Jones also draws on many different sources to explore the development of Shakespeare's career, and the evolution of his dramatic works into canonical literature. By tracing the ways that these plays and poems have circulated through literary history, Duncan-Jones allows us to understand their cultural impact and changing contexts of reception over time.