HYdraMStar
Number of posts : 1170 Age : 45 Location : Charlotte, NC Current Mood : Registration date : 2008-07-20
| Subject: Four Plays by Bernard Shaw November 16th 2008, 6:12 am | |
| Four Plays by Bernard Shaw
The editor of this particular volume, Paul Kozelka, made a point of calling the author Bernard Shaw instead of George Bernard Shaw, as most people would know him. The reason, and it seems like a good enough one, being that Mr. Shaw did not himself care for his first name and preferred to go only by his middle and last name. Besides that little tidbit of information I found the forward and editor’s notes to be on the same level as most forwards and editor’s notes on great works of literature; useless.
The four plays contained in this volume are as follows: The Devil’s Disciple, Candida, Caesar and Cleopatra, and Man and Superman.
The Devil’s Disciple was entertaining enough and the editor was wise to put it at the start of the book. A lot could be said about the unSatanic nature of the play’s main Satanic character. I mean what sort of Satanist, real or pretend, would let themselves be killed in order to save the local minister, a man they have no particular affections for. But the plot and storyline are amusing in part because they are illogical. So, in the end it was enjoyable.
Candida too was enjoyable. Again a minister was one of the main characters and Candida, herself, was the minister’s wife. This one got in spots a little too sweet and sentimental for my taste. It also too did not quite have a ring of truth about it. There were some honest and human moments to it, such as the ending, and the characters were interesting and so it was slightly above readable.
Caesar and Cleopatra was as the title suggest a play about Caesar and Cleopatra with a slightly humorous twist. Honestly, this play may have been fresh and interesting during its time, but I found it dull and only mildly amusing.
Man and Superman is the reason I purchased and read the collection. I’d heard for some many years how great of a work this play was, but had never before read it. I can’t say I was overly impressed. Certainly it had it’s charm. Of all the four, it was the funniest. It was also the one with the deepest level of character development. Some of the speeches by some of the character go on a little too long, but they were thought provoking and so bearable. The ‘dream’ portion, with the Devil and Don Juan, was a view and way of approaching the subject of Hell I’d favor had it added anything significant to the real life storyline. Rather it was a bit like a play within a play and a long one at that. The purpose of having it could have easily been served within a page or two rather then going on and on and on the way that it actually did. Near to the end of it I was flipping ahead to see when it would be ending and the business with Jack and Ana and the others would start up again. They were the much more interesting of the characters.
In closing I’d suggest only those who are lovers of plays or have, such as I do, a very dry wit and sense of humor to give this volume or any other which contains these plays a read. I think all other sorts of persons would find them boring and pointless. | |
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