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nunuseli's review against another edition
5.0
'The History Boys' es una obra ambientada en el Sheffield de principios de los años 80 y los protagonistas son un grupo de adolescentes que se tienen que preparar para hacer un examen para poder entrar en Oxford o Cambridge. Es verdad que estos jovencitos parten de unas personalidades arquetípicas, pero consiguen ser únicos y reales gracias a los diálogos (frescos, rapidísimos y vivos). Es una obra sobre crecer, enamorarse, dejar atrás la adolescencia, intentar construir tu personalidad... Es una película sobre aquellos breves meses (o semanas) que tú sabes que van a ser los últimos de una etapa, porque dentro de una fecha concreta (una fecha que tienes perfectamente marcada en el calendario) todo va a cambiar. Y empiezas a mirar el futuro con optimismo (pero también algo de miedo) y también incluso empiezas a mirar ya el presente con nostalgia.
Pero sobretodo es una película sobre aprender. Los chicos básicamente tienen dos profesores, opuestos pero complementarios. Uno es un humanista caótico que cree en la verdad y que puede hacer una clase acerca de temas tan variopintos como el uso del subjuntivo en un burdel francés. Otro es un jovencito estirado y cínico que no cree en nada, o como mucho en el relativismo absoluto, y que intenta que los chicos enfoquen las cosas desde un punto de vista distinto, lejos de los tópicos manidos. Al final la obra acaba hablando de lo maravilloso que es aprender; de que todo conocimiento es valioso, incluso el más trivial; de que la memorización de datos por si sola es absurda pero que memorizar datos también es importante; de que el conocimiento por sí sólo no es útil, que todo depende de cómo lo utilices; de que lo único que podemos hacer con el conocimiento es retenerlo un tiempo y luego pasarlo...
Pero sobretodo es una película sobre aprender. Los chicos básicamente tienen dos profesores, opuestos pero complementarios. Uno es un humanista caótico que cree en la verdad y que puede hacer una clase acerca de temas tan variopintos como el uso del subjuntivo en un burdel francés. Otro es un jovencito estirado y cínico que no cree en nada, o como mucho en el relativismo absoluto, y que intenta que los chicos enfoquen las cosas desde un punto de vista distinto, lejos de los tópicos manidos. Al final la obra acaba hablando de lo maravilloso que es aprender; de que todo conocimiento es valioso, incluso el más trivial; de que la memorización de datos por si sola es absurda pero que memorizar datos también es importante; de que el conocimiento por sí sólo no es útil, que todo depende de cómo lo utilices; de que lo único que podemos hacer con el conocimiento es retenerlo un tiempo y luego pasarlo...
absent_o_minded's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
readingisadoingword's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved this play!
It's the mid 80s and a group of history students from a regional grammar school are trying to get into Oxford. Their eccentric English teacher Hector is filling their brains with quotes from plays, films, poetry - anything! He's erratic and unconventional but somehow has an aspiration to enrich the boys' souls rather than just getting them through an exam.
"I count examinations even for Oxford and Cambridge as the enemy of education. Which is not to say that I don’t regard education as the enemy of education, too."
His counterparts are Mrs Lintott and Mr Irwin.
Mrs Lintott has taught the boys to succeed academically and Mr Irwin is brought in to teach them specifically, how to pass an Oxbridge entrance exam. They both contrast with Hector in their goal orientated ways of teaching.
"Mr. Hector’s stuff’s not meant for the exam, sir. It’s to make us more rounded human beings."
"Shall I tell you what is wrong with Hector as a teacher? It isn’t that he doesn’t produce results. He does. But they are unpredictable and unquantifiable and in the current educational climate that is no use."
I loved Hector's irreverence and his giving equal weight to long passages from popular films as to those from classical literature. Encouraging the boys to learn by heart, he's furnishing them with little jewels for future enjoyment but not for academic inspection.
“I don't always understand poetry!'
'You don't always understand it? Timms, I never understand it. But learn it now, know it now and you will understand it...whenever.'
'I don’t see how we can understand it. Most of the stuff poetry’s about
hasn’t happened to us yet.'
'But it will, Timms. It will. And then you will have the antidote ready!”
There's a lot of cynicism around how to spin answers for the exam. Irwin focuses on differentiating oneself rather than on being genuine or truthful. Despite his ability to get the boys through the exam he somewhat tarnished the magic of their random learnings with Hector.
As much as I enjoyed this play, and perhaps it's indicative "of its time", I felt uncomfortable with the off-hand way in which Hector's inappropriate sexual behaviour towards the boys was dealt with, also also other Senior/Staff relationships within the school. These are almost laughed off and little examination given to the impact on the victims. While this may not be what this play is "about", it's a significant element and one that lands differently in today's context.
All in all a thought-provoking read but perhaps not always for the reasons intended.
It did make me want to learn more poetry by heart though!
It's the mid 80s and a group of history students from a regional grammar school are trying to get into Oxford. Their eccentric English teacher Hector is filling their brains with quotes from plays, films, poetry - anything! He's erratic and unconventional but somehow has an aspiration to enrich the boys' souls rather than just getting them through an exam.
"I count examinations even for Oxford and Cambridge as the enemy of education. Which is not to say that I don’t regard education as the enemy of education, too."
His counterparts are Mrs Lintott and Mr Irwin.
Mrs Lintott has taught the boys to succeed academically and Mr Irwin is brought in to teach them specifically, how to pass an Oxbridge entrance exam. They both contrast with Hector in their goal orientated ways of teaching.
"Mr. Hector’s stuff’s not meant for the exam, sir. It’s to make us more rounded human beings."
"Shall I tell you what is wrong with Hector as a teacher? It isn’t that he doesn’t produce results. He does. But they are unpredictable and unquantifiable and in the current educational climate that is no use."
I loved Hector's irreverence and his giving equal weight to long passages from popular films as to those from classical literature. Encouraging the boys to learn by heart, he's furnishing them with little jewels for future enjoyment but not for academic inspection.
“I don't always understand poetry!'
'You don't always understand it? Timms, I never understand it. But learn it now, know it now and you will understand it...whenever.'
'I don’t see how we can understand it. Most of the stuff poetry’s about
hasn’t happened to us yet.'
'But it will, Timms. It will. And then you will have the antidote ready!”
There's a lot of cynicism around how to spin answers for the exam. Irwin focuses on differentiating oneself rather than on being genuine or truthful. Despite his ability to get the boys through the exam he somewhat tarnished the magic of their random learnings with Hector.
As much as I enjoyed this play, and perhaps it's indicative "of its time", I felt uncomfortable with the off-hand way in which Hector's inappropriate sexual behaviour towards the boys was dealt with, also also other Senior/Staff relationships within the school. These are almost laughed off and little examination given to the impact on the victims. While this may not be what this play is "about", it's a significant element and one that lands differently in today's context.
All in all a thought-provoking read but perhaps not always for the reasons intended.
It did make me want to learn more poetry by heart though!
martha_18's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book for my English Literature course work and at first I didn't understand it, by the time I got to the end I realised it doesn't matter what you learn or how you learn it, you will be what you will be.
apmatteo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sfletcher26's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second time of reading the History Boys and I've had to reassess my view of it. I couldn't get past the character of Hector and his behaviour. His behaviour is still hard to deal with but the story comes out much more the second time round. from 4* to 5*
readinglines's review against another edition
4.0
Such a beautiful play full of incredible characters. The History Boys will forever have a special place in my heart as one of the best plays I’ve ever read.
lubleu's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
angelreadsthings's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 Stars. I can't recall what made me interested in this play a few years ago, nor can I explain exactly what I have gained from it now that I've read it...but there is definitely something touching and soul-trembling about this play. It connects with something beyond cognition and verbalization so that one encounters the play on two levels--one concerned with the reality which the play represents and the other concerned with the emotional current which gently prods reality forward--much as the boys encountered education on two levels through Hector and Irwin. This multiple focusing layers the play so that Hector's bike rides and Irwin and Dakin's interactions are seen as more than simply teacher indiscretions, but also the manifestation of something more elusive that must be pondered. My only qualms with the work are the lack of stage directions and the minimal character development in light of the initial presentation. It's not uncommon to focus a work on a select number of characters and to only outline the rest, but for a play that gives off the initial sense of the characters being this progressing whole, much of the whole is ignored throughout.