Shakespeare's Jest Books (Library of Essential Reading Series) William Carew Hazlitt The Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading has been established to provide access to books of literary, academic, and historic value -- works of both well-known writers and those who have been long forgotten. Selected and introduced by scholars and specialists with an intimate knowledge of the works they discuss, these volumes present unabridged texts in a readable modern typeface, welcoming a new generation to important and influential books of the past. See the full list of more than 250 titles.