Is He Dead?
Mark Twain Shelley Fisher Fishkin (Redaktør) Barry Moser (Illustratør) Richard A. Watson (Bidragsyter)
"This master of the novel proves also to be a master at play construction. Is He Dead? has all the craftsmanship of a far more seasoned playwright's efforts, and the targets Twain establishes - mendacity and greed - are the twin evils he exposed throughout his distinguished career." - Tony Lewis, Providence Journal-Bulletin "Worthy of Twain's legacy as America's greatest humorist." - Ledger "Sparked by enough over-the-top humor, it is laugh-aloud funny to read." - Booklist "This is another gold nugget in the treasure house of Mark Twain. That he could have spun out such a rollicking satire on the hypocrisy of the art world, delivered in the spirit of 'Charley's Aunt,' while his own spirit battled the ghosts of personal loss, is another beacon to the wild and surprising genius of Mark Twain. Shelley Fisher Fishkin has done it again, giving us the fruits of eye-opening, double-fathom research, pursuing nearly virgin byways of Mark Twain's literary and social life and showing us how that colorful world affected the temper of his mind. I learned things I never knew while racing through this book." - Hal Holbrook"
The University of California Press is delighted to announce the new publication of this three-act play by one of America's most important and well-loved writers. A highly entertaining comedy that has never appeared in print or on stage, "Is He Dead?" is finally available to the wide audience Mark Twain wished it to reach. Les mer
In order to make this scheme succeed, the artists hatch some hilarious plots involving cross-dressing, a full-scale fake funeral, lovers' deceptions, and much more. Mark Twain was fascinated by the theater and made many attempts at playwriting, but this play is certainly his best. "Is He Dead?" may have been too 'out there' for the Victorian 1890s, but today's readers will thoroughly enjoy Mark Twain's well-crafted dialog, intriguing cast of characters, and above all, his characteristic ebullience and humor. In Shelley Fisher Fishkin's estimation, it is 'a champagne cocktail of a play - not too dry, not too sweet, with just the right amount of bubbles and buzz'.
Detaljer
- Forlag
- University of California Press
- Innbinding
- Paperback
- Språk
- Engelsk
- Sider
- 248
- ISBN
- 9780520248335
- Utgivelsesår
- 2006
- Format
- 20 x 15 cm
Anmeldelser
"This master of the novel proves also to be a master at play construction. Is He Dead? has all the craftsmanship of a far more seasoned playwright's efforts, and the targets Twain establishes - mendacity and greed - are the twin evils he exposed throughout his distinguished career." - Tony Lewis, Providence Journal-Bulletin "Worthy of Twain's legacy as America's greatest humorist." - Ledger "Sparked by enough over-the-top humor, it is laugh-aloud funny to read." - Booklist "This is another gold nugget in the treasure house of Mark Twain. That he could have spun out such a rollicking satire on the hypocrisy of the art world, delivered in the spirit of 'Charley's Aunt,' while his own spirit battled the ghosts of personal loss, is another beacon to the wild and surprising genius of Mark Twain. Shelley Fisher Fishkin has done it again, giving us the fruits of eye-opening, double-fathom research, pursuing nearly virgin byways of Mark Twain's literary and social life and showing us how that colorful world affected the temper of his mind. I learned things I never knew while racing through this book." - Hal Holbrook"