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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Straight people sure do love adultery, but backwards this time.
Throughout the play, I thought I understood the characters but the last scene caught me off guard. I didn’t see it coming, which made me like the play even more. It’s brilliant.
Somehow makes subject material I don't usually care about on principle into a painful series of verbal duels whose tragedy only deepens with the hindsight of going backwards (and forwards) into the story
I probably wouldn't have liked this, if it was any longer, but as a short story it was okay. I guess plays just aren't really my thing. (Although this is the first play I have ever read)
Very interesting! Love how it never resolved to arguments.
I studied this for uni and wrote an essay about it. I liked reading into the homosocial subtext of the relationship between Jerry and Robert and how the failed sublimation of these desires negatively impacted everyone .
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This play, though originally published in 1978, still resonates with audiences today. The characters represent many facets of the human condition, and they come across as timeless reflections of the different parts of ourselves. Pinter manages to capture the tragedy of a love triangle in a tragic and at times humorous way. Jerry is a character who goes after what he wants and damns the consequences. Emma is a woman who is not happy in her marriage and seeks intimacy elsewhere, searching for a more meaningful connection. And Robert appears to be the wronged party in all of this but, as the play continues, is found just as guilty as his adulterous wife. All three characters are flawed, but not inaccessible. Audiences can sympathize with each party in this complex relationship and understand each character’s motivations — selfishness, loneliness, passion, and more.
The theme of betrayal encompasses more than just an illicit love affair; it forces the reader to think about trust and what it actually means beyond the definition in the dictionary. Because the play moves backward through time, the reader can see the train wreck that is the love triangle coming from a mile away. However, this foreknowledge does not make it easy to determine who is right and who is wrong. Each character is searching for something they feel is missing from their families. Different versions of the truth are voiced, levels of betrayal are revealed, and emotions are heated then cooled in a single line or stage direction for the characters. Pinter’s play echoes the human condition through his characters in a way that draws the audience in and holds them captive from start to finish.
I really enjoyed reading this play. Technically, I'm giving this read a 4.5-star rating, and that's only because I prefer to see plays performed live. As interesting as this was to read on the page, I know I would have loved it even more if I saw it live on stage.
The theme of betrayal encompasses more than just an illicit love affair; it forces the reader to think about trust and what it actually means beyond the definition in the dictionary. Because the play moves backward through time, the reader can see the train wreck that is the love triangle coming from a mile away. However, this foreknowledge does not make it easy to determine who is right and who is wrong. Each character is searching for something they feel is missing from their families. Different versions of the truth are voiced, levels of betrayal are revealed, and emotions are heated then cooled in a single line or stage direction for the characters. Pinter’s play echoes the human condition through his characters in a way that draws the audience in and holds them captive from start to finish.
I really enjoyed reading this play. Technically, I'm giving this read a 4.5-star rating, and that's only because I prefer to see plays performed live. As interesting as this was to read on the page, I know I would have loved it even more if I saw it live on stage.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes