Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Iphigenia, Phaedra, Athaliah (Penguin Classics) by John Cairncross, Jean Baptiste Racine, E. F. Watling ISBN: 0-14-044122-0 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: February, 1964 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.67 (3 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Brevity and depth in a great tragedy.
Comment: According to my class' notes, Barthes said that there is a law about Racine's tragedies: A loves B. B does not love A. B is under A's control. This is a simplistic approach that sort of works, but "Phaedra" is far more complex than a simple letter soup. Hippolytus is not totally under Phaedra's control, since he decides not to tell Theseus what has really happened between himself and his stepmother. This makes him noble, but less than brilliant. Phaedra is guilty of a passion she cannot help, and turns her guilt into criminal acts by accusing Hippolytus of either lecherous intent or outright rape, depending on how one reads her words. Theseus is a cad who projects his own behaviour onto everybody else, so he immediately believes the worst about his son. And Oenone is a snake, the personification of bad counsel who does not even begin to pay, with her own suicide, for the tragedy she has helped unleash. Racine has created a masterpiece of brevity and passion, following the example of his much admired Euripides. It is clear after reading "Phaedra," that his work goes far beyond the simple A-B-C of Barthes, and into deep psychological development of characters who make fateful choices based on their passions. This is a great play by a great playwright.
Rating: 5
Summary: surprisingly readable
Comment: I'm unqualified to judge the translation since I don't speak any French, but the play is very accessible. Although I have read many of the classic Greek plays, I never read anything by Racine. It's helpful to pick up a book on Racine like the Twayne's Masterworks series to find out some background information. Like many French authors, he grew up in poverty and ascended to power and prestige later. Several of his plays were based on Greek stories and plays -- in this one, he even quotes out of the originals. The plot line is easy to follow and very interesting, plus Phaedre strikes me as one of the most developed female characters around. Compare her depth to Dido's in Virgil's Aeneid and you'll see what I mean. This play is excellent and now I'm inspired to read more of Racine's wonderful plays which still have a modernness of theme about them. There are some moving speeches -- I'd like to see it performed. This edition also as the prefaces which are supposed to be included but aren't always.
Rating: 4
Summary: Great reworkings of Greek Tragedy
Comment: Racine's plays capture the Enlightenment's revival of interest in Greek Tragedy. Racine powerfully retells classical Greek mythology as inner-conflicts between passion and reason. This edition is particularly useful because it includes Racine's original prefatory remarks to each of his plays. Highly recommended for those who enjoy the human drama of Greek tragedy.
 |
Title: Cid Cinna: The Theatrical Illusion (The Penguin Classics) by Pierre Corneille, John Cairncross ISBN: 0140443126 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: January, 1976 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
 |
Title: The Misanthrope by Moliere ISBN: 0486270653 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: February, 1992 List Price(USD): $1.50 |
 |
Title: Euripides IV: Four Tragedies: Rhesus, the Suppliant Women, Orestes and Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides, David Grene, Richmond Lattimore, Frank Jones ISBN: 0226307832 Publisher: University of Chicago Press Pub. Date: June, 1968 List Price(USD): $9.00 |
 |
Title: Phedre by Jean Racine, Ted Hughes ISBN: 0374526168 Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux Pub. Date: January, 2000 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
 |
Title: Tartuffe, by Moliere by Richard Wilbur ISBN: 0156881802 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: January, 1968 List Price(USD): $11.00 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
