Reviews

Translations by Brian Friel

mkiernanw's review

funny informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

chmedy's review

4.0

I really enjoyed it and I like how the whole concept of translation is treated. The ending kinda disappointed me, but still, I liked the play.

darcey_reads's review

informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

3.5

The use of English when the characters are actually speaking Irish Gaelic in this play is really clever. Obviously Friel wanted English speakers to be able to watch the play and understand what was being said so it had to be in English for this to happen, but it just adds to the play. You don’t realise the characters aren’t speaking English to each other until the English characters come along and they don’t understand each other. The themes of colonisation, language, and the importance of naming are shown really well in this play, and I can only imagine that it would be even more effective when watching the play being performed as opposed to reading it.

jsimonet's review against another edition

funny inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

laindarko2's review

challenging reflective tense fast-paced

3.5

I really prefer not to read plays if I can help it, but as this was assigned for a class and I couldn't find any recorded performances to watch, I had to read it anyway. I only say this because I think if I watched this as a play or film I think I would have higher praises for it. It really is a fascinating look at the colonization of Ireland and the power of language (and the spiritual-cultural violence of linguistic erasure). I can tell it must be a very sorrowful and heartbreaking play when performed. When read, though, the conversations between characters are really difficult to track, weakening the overall effect of the story. I really would love to watch a performance, especially in Gaelic, but it doesn't seem to be a super commonly performed piece. Maybe that's something for me to look out for if I ever get to travel to Ireland!

jazz_1994's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

ketaminekidneybean's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

saskiarachel's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

georgeklts's review

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.0

vidhi26p's review

4.0

Short and sweet, this play illustrates the idiosyncrasies of language and communication between people. Featuring five prominent languages, we see a firsthand glimpse into life in Ireland in the 19th century and the struggles of its people. Absolutely loved the insights this play gives and was pleasantly surprised throughout its entirety of its cohesiveness and vast entertainment and educational value.