two very great plays
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This is a convenient way to get two of the greatest plays of the twentieth century. My preference (and it will be that of most people, I think) is for 'A View from the Bridge', originally written in verse to echo the style of a Greek tragedy, and that is really what it is, with the downfall of Eddie Carbone and the catastrophe that surrounds it inevitable, as lawyer Alfieri, whom Miller uses as a kind of observer/narrator, is aware almost from the word go. It is an extraordinarily powerful play, made the more compelling, as always with Miller, by the vigour and rhythms of the longshoreman's language, so unlike that of the Salem villagers in 'The Crucible' or poor Willy Loman in 'Death of a Salesman' but just as convincing and just as powerful. 'All my Sons' has never moved me quite as much, but it is nonetheless a beautifully contructed play with, again, real tragedy at its heart, and again it is the tragedy of a 'little man' getting things terribly wrong under pressure - haven't we all, though I hope not with comparable results. It seems to me that compassion lies at the heart of both plays, and maybe that is what, in the end, makes them so moving, though Miller's extraordinary technical control is a big factor in realising that too. Anyway, they are wonderful, and this book is worth many times its modest cover price.
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A Gripping Play
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Last year i was told that we would be studying Arthur Miller's 'A View From The Bridge' for GCSE. We went to see this play and i immeadatliy fell in love with it. the story was so gripping and kept you hooked all the way. We used this copy of the play to study from in and out of school and i found it very detailed and helpful. This is deffinatly some of Arthur Miller's best work.
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A play that will leave you reeling through to its end
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For a play that has been set for my GCSE english lit. i found "A View from the Bridge" to be one of the most dramatic and captivating pieces of literature that i have ever encountered. The play truly immersed me into the world of Italian immigrants in Brooklyn, i got a taste of their culture, language and firm beliefs. Their firm belief of the "social code" is the main theme that dominates the play and through the main character Eddie Carbone we learn of just how important and ingrained that belief is across the close knit Italian community. Aside from this theme, Miller deals with another issue that plays just as an important part of the plot as the "social code" and that is the unhealthy relationship between Eddie and his neice Catherine. As the play progresses we learn of the true nature of Eddie's relationship with Catherine. Arthur Miller has a real knack of creating this underlying tension that rides through the play to it's intense finale. In most instances Miller locates much of the tension within the actions of his characters rather than their dialogue,especially in regard to Eddie and his feelings towards Catherine. I found this play refreshing as it was different to anything that i had ever read and to those that yearn for a change i highly recommend "A View from the Bridge" in all it's tense, dark and quite often humourous ways.
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Makes a change!
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I am currently studying this book for my GCSE, and I would like to say that this does make a change. It is a good book, and the work involved around it is good as well (that's if you enjoy picking apart the characters) - At least that's what I've been doing. It's definitely worth a read anyway. The character's emotions are what I thought was the most intriguing part of this play, as they motivate the characters so much that the end is unstoppable. The contrasts between the love shared among the characters are very carefully portrayed. Anyway, I'll leave yiz to find out for yourself. But, I'm tellin' yiz now, do read this book, 'cause you'll only miss out otherwise.
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I've only read 4 pages, and I think it's COOL
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Look, I'll keep it simple. This book is ace. Its real. It's believable. Its an excelent read, and it makes a change from Shakespear (this is goin' out to all you Year 10s doing yer GCSEs). Buy it. Read it. Love it.
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