Name: Eugene O'Neill
Year Won: 1936
Read: Emperor Jones
Original Language: English
Reason: "for the power, honesty and deep-felt emotions of his dramatic works, which embody an original concept of tragedy"
About: Emperor Jones is an experimental play told mostly in monologue form by the titular Emperor Jones, a black man who sets himself up as the emperor of a small Carribean island. Eventually he dies, after going through descents into grandiosity and madness.
What I liked: The concept is intriguing and I love the titular character. He's quite interesting. And the play is short yet succinct.
What I Disliked: The dialectic is so heavy that it's hard to read. It's also potentially offensive, due to heavily using a particular slur.
Should it have won a Nobel: Probably. This is only one of O'Neill's many great plays (and probably not the greatest), yet it's still pretty good. (I do feel that it would be more interesting to catch this on stage, but que sera.)
Next up: "The Postman" by Roger Martin du Gard
Friday, November 20, 2020
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author
Name: Luigi Pirandello
Year Won: 1934
Read: Six Characters In Search of an Author
Original Language: Italian
Reason: "for his bold and ingenious revival of dramatic and scenic art"
About: Six Characters in Search of an Author is an extremely unusual play. It starts with the production staff of a play (director, stage hand etc.) getting ready to perform a play just for six characters (two of whom don't speak) to arrive on set and demand an author for their play. The charaters then perform scenes, sometimes with input from the production staff (the director wants to recreate some of what they're saying), and sometimes with input from the other characters (who are sometimes appalled by what their family members are saying). It's all very strange.
What I liked: This is one of the most unique pieces I have ever read. Especially considering how long ago it was written, it's quite unusual.
What I Disliked: I never felt especially emotionally stirred by this. (Which is fairly typical for things that seem more to taking major steps in how to change the standard form of things). It might also suffer, somewhat, from that it's a play, which is meant to be performed vs. read. (I think some of the shock of seeing the staff of a play discussing things vs. an actual play, then the actors breaking in is somewhat muted when you'r not seeing it happening.)
Should it have won a Nobel: A quote from the little "about" said something about how this might not be the greatest play, but it was the most unique. I'd agree (well, maybe not most, but it sure as heck was unique). As such, it probably does deserve an award. (Esp. if you throw in that this is hardly Pirandello's only work. If he regularly put out work as unique and ground breaking as this, he definitely deserves a prize for it.)
Next up: The Plays of Eugene O'Neill (unsure which. The library just has a collection so we'll see what catches my interest!)
Year Won: 1934
Read: Six Characters In Search of an Author
Original Language: Italian
Reason: "for his bold and ingenious revival of dramatic and scenic art"
About: Six Characters in Search of an Author is an extremely unusual play. It starts with the production staff of a play (director, stage hand etc.) getting ready to perform a play just for six characters (two of whom don't speak) to arrive on set and demand an author for their play. The charaters then perform scenes, sometimes with input from the production staff (the director wants to recreate some of what they're saying), and sometimes with input from the other characters (who are sometimes appalled by what their family members are saying). It's all very strange.
What I liked: This is one of the most unique pieces I have ever read. Especially considering how long ago it was written, it's quite unusual.
What I Disliked: I never felt especially emotionally stirred by this. (Which is fairly typical for things that seem more to taking major steps in how to change the standard form of things). It might also suffer, somewhat, from that it's a play, which is meant to be performed vs. read. (I think some of the shock of seeing the staff of a play discussing things vs. an actual play, then the actors breaking in is somewhat muted when you'r not seeing it happening.)
Should it have won a Nobel: A quote from the little "about" said something about how this might not be the greatest play, but it was the most unique. I'd agree (well, maybe not most, but it sure as heck was unique). As such, it probably does deserve an award. (Esp. if you throw in that this is hardly Pirandello's only work. If he regularly put out work as unique and ground breaking as this, he definitely deserves a prize for it.)
Next up: The Plays of Eugene O'Neill (unsure which. The library just has a collection so we'll see what catches my interest!)
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