Phenomenal Shakespeare

"I cannot recommend Bruce Smith's book highly enough to any researcher interested in deepening their understanding of historical phenomenology. The first chapter on As You Like It manifests-through an analysis of the modern use of the quotative "like" and three contrasting portraits of Bacon, Descartes and Husserl in their private studies of phenomena-the central goals and underpinnings of this theoretical approach." (Routledge ABES, 2011)

"But Smith's pleasure-seeking book, a useful corrective to the worst excesses of historicism is police-like in its own way". (Times Higher Education Supplement, 25 November 2010)

"A welcome introduction to what is proving an exciting set of radically new approaches for making sense of the early modern period […] what is really groundbreaking about Smith’s work here is how it demands that we as scholars re-address what it is that we think we are doing when we read these texts."
—William N. West, Northwestern University

"A timely and unique contribution that urges the reorientation of critical attitudes from the "state the theory, show the theory, restate the theory" approach towards a method of manifesting or showing".
—P.A. Skantze, Roehampton University