The Handy Volume Shakspeare. Includes 5 Volumes As Follows:
"This attractive five-volume library of The Handy-Volume Shakspeare presents a carefully selected collection of Shakespeare's comedies and histories in a compact and highly readable late-nineteenth-century format. Published by George Routledge and Sons of New York circa 1885, the edition gathers fifteen beloved plays across five uniform volumes, including The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, and As You Like It, among many others. Designed for portability and accessibility, the "Handy-Volume" series brought Shakespeare's works to a broad readership at a time when affordable yet dignified editions were increasingly sought for home libraries and schools.
Bound in matching publisher's cloth with gilt spine decoration and clear volume titling, the books retain a pleasing period character, enhanced by their uniformity on the shelf. The typography is clean and well proportioned, typical of Routledge's dependable late-Victorian production standards. While these copies are ex-library, with associated markings and classification numbers, they remain internally clean and visually appealing, preserving their structural integrity and overall presentation.
This collection represents an appealing and practical nineteenth-century Shakespeare edition, ideal for collectors who appreciate original publisher's bindings and the charm of institutional provenance. A handsome and cohesive grouping, it would suit admirers of classic English literature, Victorian publishing history, or collectors seeking an attractive antique Shakespeare set for display and reading alike."
