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Provocative dramatic essay
Phlisophy hits home
the loss of languages
A sublime play...
Language and identity

Translations (York Notes Advanced)
Brian Friel
Manufacturer: York Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Methuen Modern Plays)
Dancing at Lughnasa: A Play
Copenhagen
Arcadia: A Play
M. Butterfly: With an Afterword by the Playwright

ASIN: 0582784387

Book Description

The action takes place in late August 1833 at a hedge-school in the townland of Baile Beag, an Irish-speaking community in County Donegal. In a nearby field camps a recently arrived detachment of the Royal Engineers, making the first Ordnance Survey. For the purposes of cartography, the local Gaelic place names have to be recorded and rendered into English. In examining the effects of this operation on the lives of a small group, Brian Friel skillfully reveals the far-reaching personal and cultural effects of an action which is at first sight purely administrative.

Customer Reviews:

Provocative dramatic essay.......2004-10-09

I'll admit I had expected this play to be another political statement about disappearing languages and the hegemonic powers that threaten them--either that or a celebration of Irish Gaelic (I'm more with Joyce than Yeats when it comes to provincial sentimentality about a nation's older tongue). But Friel manages to make the reader/spectator ponder the seriousness of what can be lost in the translation of the marginal language into the majority discourse. In some instances, the signifer and signified, the sign and its referent are irrevocably separated. In such cases, the resulting loss is not merely to the "richness" of a country's culture but to human consciousness itself. What we can't say we can no longer know or even think.

Phlisophy hits home.......2004-01-29

I enjoyed reading other reviews, but i was constantly getting the feeling that there was a real ingorance to the underlining theme of the play. On the surface it is about human emotions and the trials a change in culture can have on a society. Friel also challenges the sugnificance of language itself and forces us to seek the relevance of the communication we use. It is thought provoking causing us to realise that everything is subject to human perception, making us questionwhether any liguistic source is reliable, is language just a guise for the truth? Must read for anyone challenging the relevance of everything we know to be real.

the loss of languages.......2003-04-26

an eloquent, moving play about the love of one's native language (Irish) and the plight of lost languages (Latin, ancient Greek, and so on). Of course, it was written after the largely successful revival of the Irish language. There's your delayed "happy ending."

the nice thing about friel's play is that he conveys the machine of colonialism with the appropriate complexity--it isn't "bad Englishman, good Irishman," but something much more complex. sometimes people like Owen, unwittingly or not, sell out their own. Sometimes others, for example the English soldier here, are part of the colonial apparatus, but not consciously or intentionally--and such people may end up being the colonized culture's greatest champions.

I liked it better than Dancing at Lughnasa, though i haven't had the chance to see this one performed. It reads well--and a lot of plays don't.

A sublime play..........2003-02-14

Friel does a wonderful job of using the beginnings of the
Irish Potato Famine and the callous attitude of the English
government as a backdrop for the far more interesting issue
of language and history- more specifically, how the words
we use can only imperfectly capture the feelings and connections
we feel about the object itself; and how the stories we
tell about history can be more important than what actually
happened. What is most poignant and touching to me is
the relationship between Maire, who speaks only Irish, and
Yolland, the British soldier who attempts to learn Irish
as they fall in love.
The politics that undo their relationship seem almost to
happen as an afterthought- the moments they share, and
their ability to communicate beyond language, make the
play sad and joyful.
Although this to me is certainly a very Irish play, its
impact and meaning(s) cannot be confined to Ireland. It
poses questions to all of us and the worlds we inhabit.

Language and identity.......2002-10-17

This is without doubt my favourite play by Friel and one of my favourite plays of all time. However, what I find really frustrating about it is the fact that is nearly always interpreted as being simply about the death of the Irish language and the colonial relationship between the English and the Irish. In other words, it is constantly being interpreted as "uniquely Irish" and I feel this does the play a serious injustice by failing to underline its international appeal. I personally have always read the play as showing that the relationship between a word and what that word designates is not a purely arbitrary one, i.e. a rose by any other name would definitely not smell the same! For example, if someone suddenly started calling me John or Michael instead of Damian, I would feel that a vital part of my identity had been lost. The intricate link between language and identity is of universal significance - it is by no means restricted to Ireland! In fact, the play reminds me a lot of "Le premier jardin" by Anne Hebert and "Lost in translation" by Eva Hofmann.

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Atonement (York Notes Advanced)
Ian McEwan
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall (UK)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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York Notes on William Blake's "Songs of Innocence" (York Notes Advanced)

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York Notes on William Blake's "Songs of Innocence" (York Notes Advanced)
David Punter
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0582784336

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A classic of the first order
Obsessed by a vision
Superior Fiction
An Ode to Obsession
One of the finest novels in the English canon.

The Spire (York Notes Advanced)
William Golding
Manufacturer: Pearson Education Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Free Fall
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Scorpion God

ASIN: 1405835648

Book Description

The vision that drives Dean Jocelin to construct an immense new spire above his cathedral tests the limits of all who surround him. The foundationless stone pillars shriek and the earth beneath them heaves under the structure’s weight as the Dean’s will weighs down his collapsing faith.

Customer Reviews:

A classic of the first order.......2006-08-31

I stumbled upon this book by accident, and decided to read it due to Golding's reputation as author of the wonderful, "Lord of the Flies". "The Spire" is likewise a fairly quick read, and every bit as engaging. Even arguably superior.

Briefly, it is the story of a cleric, Dean Jocelin, who embarks on an over-ambitious building project at the cathedral he oversees. The time and the place is not important, and indeed could be 21st century America (the book seems to be set in 19th century England). The project is the addition of a 400 foot spire. Jocelin is single-minded regarding the project, as he decorously steamrolls the project along under color of devotion to God. The result is disastrous.

I respectfully differ with the several other reviewers that see the spire project as misdirected devotion to glorifying God. There is much evidence in the story that Jocelin is a megalomaniac. The structure is to be self-glorifying. To boot, he is also apparently a closet lecher. He prays, and seems to rationalize the project as an act of devotion - but I think he is really all about self-promotion.

Always woven into the storytelling is the church building itself. Golding paints a vivid picture of the old stone pillars audibly protesting under the ever increasing weight of the spire that slowly grows above them, the construction of the spire, the majesty but the tension, and the feeling of looming catastrophe. Wonderful writing.

This is a great piece of work. It is well worth the quick read and it will stay with you. Recommended.

Obsessed by a vision.......2006-05-01

Reverend Jocelin, Dean of the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, becomes obsessed with building a 400-foot spire atop the church; the builders warn him that the church's foundation is not strong enough to support the weight of such a spire, but Jocelin insists it be built because of "a vision" he has had. Jocelin loses interest in everything not connected with the spire and truly becomes a man possessed; even religious services are suspended in order for the construction to take place, and people die as it is being built. (The power of this obsession is reminiscent of Captain Ahab and his obsession with Moby Dick.) What might have been a religious inspiration for the churchgoers becomes a personal mania for Jocelin. Sure enough after the spire is completed the building collapses and Jocelin is killed, but amazingly the spire remains upright. Golding captures perfectly the madness in Jocelin's "vision," and it's my favorite of his books - and the one most accessible.

Superior Fiction.......2006-01-18

Golding constructs a fictional account around a real occurrence, the building of a tall spire at Salisbury Cathedral, near where Golding lived.

It is Golding's "Macbeth", whereas "Flies" may be seen as "Hamlet". Short, impressionistic, unrelenting, "The Spire" is writing at its best. There is a lack of physical description, leaving that to the reader's imagination, but much fine dialogue. This is why I have always thought it would make a sensational film (I have always seen Alec Guiness in the role of Jocelyn).

Characters are well drawn, there are inter and intra personal conflicts between Roger, the Master Builder, and Jocelyn, who thinks he is doing God's work and that Roger's skills are his instrument.

Jocelyn, who rose rapidly to become Dean of the Church, is resented by others who had been there longer. At the end, Roger is a drunken wreck, and Jocelyn finds out the truth about his appointment as Dean. It is a crushing revelation, which finally kills him. On his deathbed, he asks to be helped up so that he can see the Spire, which has finally been completed. It took a terrible toll in human life, but this tribute to God is still standing today and can be seen for miles on the flat Salisbury Plain.

This is a much less symbolic story than "Flies", and a lot less heavy handed, and that is why I feel it is much superior. It is a very human story of hubris, obsession, false hope, and ultimate ruination, and Golding accomplishes all this in a very short book. It is like a long epic poem, and while its writing style may take a little getting used to, it is well worth the effort.

To me, this book is a bona fide classic. Do yourself a favor and read it. You will never forget it.

An Ode to Obsession.......2002-09-17

"The Spire" manages to brush up against the successful elements of Golding's best work. Although it never reaches the heights of the brilliant "The Lord of the Flies," it does paint vivid and fragmented pictures of man come undone.

William Golding, after seeing the horrors of war firsthand, rejected the foundational thought of humanism that "man is basically good." In "The Lord of the Flies," he used concise language and haunting symbolism to validate his thoughts. And, by creating sympathetic characters, he drew us into his viewpoint. Few of his other novels create such sympathy. It is as though he bought into his own philosophy so deeply that he no longer found value in his fellow man. "Pincher Martin" and "Free Fall" left me impressed with his skills, but intellectually unmoved.

In "The Spire," he moves me again. At first, his protagonist--an anti-hero in every sense--is hard to sympathize with in any fashion. The man, Dean Jocelin, is driven to the point of obsession and insanity by his need to serve God, or, ultimately his need to feel worthy in God's sight. He demands obedience and servitude from those around him, driving them to complete his vision of a 400 ft spire above his cathedral. In the process, some will die, others will lose faith, hope, and love. Only as Jocelin comes to terms with his fallibility do we begin to care about the doomed outcome of his dream. Only as he admits his own pride and stubborness do we hope for his absolution, deserved or not.

This book is an ode to all those who become obsessed by religion and love, who strive for something to the point of sacrificing everything of true value along the way. Here, finally, Golding once again finds a way to show the madness of humanity while still proferring a glimmer of hope.

One of the finest novels in the English canon........1999-05-31

William Golding's reach in this novel is prodigious. Not only does he demonstrate that the one historical constant is human nature, he also manages to flesh out the scope of behaviour admitted in one particlar human being. The novel takes the reader back in time and to an historically, as well as geographically, foreign place. It deals with how human beings cope with pain, loss, ambition, vision and the tenderest of feelings. The novel is a tour de force.

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An Unfortunate Requirement
One of my favorites!
faded magic
Carter's last hurrah.
It'd be wise to give this book a miss.

Wise Children (York Notes Advanced)
Angela Carter
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall (UK)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Family Saga | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 140583563X

Book Description

Wise Children follows the fortunes of the Chance twins, Dora and Nora, taking in the story of their show business family -- the Hazards -- over the past century. Born illegitimately, spurned by their father Melchior and brought up by their landlady, Mrs Chance, Dora and Nora learn to dance, and begin to forge a career, “two girls pounding the boards”. After the post-war decline of their careers they are reduced to performing in nude revues, while the latest generation of Hazards rise to fame as stars of television. Angela Carter's witty and bawdy new novel celebrates the magic of over a century of show business.

Customer Reviews:

An Unfortunate Requirement.......2006-11-30

I was required to read this book for (strangely enough) my post-modern lit course. This book (in my opinion) is not post-modern...

It was easier to read than most "post-modern" books are, which is probably why it was a relief to read it.

It did nothing for me. I do not have a strong background in Shakespeare to fully understand the inuendos of the book. The "tragedy" of the twins' distance from their father stirred nothing, nor did the "comedic" aspects which seemed just absurd.

If this is a required read, then read it. It's pretty easy to read, though there is a lot going on so it is important to understand and follow every character and plot that is woven in.

I wouldn't read this for pleasure, personally. It's a silly book.

One of my favorites!.......2006-07-01

I'm not a huge fiction reader. However, I first read this when it was assigned to me in one of my women's lit classes in college. Needless to say it's one of the few books I found worth keeping once I had my BA in hand.

"Wise Children" features five sets of twins in the famed (but fictitious) Hazard dynasty of theatre, spanning from the heyday of the mid to late 1800s to the decline of the art with the advent of movies. Dora and Nora, the main characters (Dora being the narrator) tell a delightful story of their lives as illegitimate children "on the left hand side of the family", fathered by a famed actor in a one-night stand during WWI. The tale is expressive and detailed, with a good deal of good-natured bawdiness and who's sleeping with whom. Rather than coming off as trashy, the novel instead maintains a light heart about the whole thing from start to surprising and triumphant finish. It;s a lot of laughs, smiles, but also some tears.

Carter was a splendid writer (she died in 1992, not long after finishing this book). The story is woven in excellent style, ecoking a wide range of emotions. The characters, rather than being soap operaish (though the drama runs high, no pun intended) are well-crafted and believeable. "Wise Children" is an intimate peek into the tangled web of the Hazard family, with a knowing wink at each page.

Highly recommended for a light, entertaining, but far from saccharine read.

faded magic.......2006-06-30

Clearly a Miss Chance is the authoress of the chronicle of the novel. The whole narrative does not seem plausible. It is like a stage set, creaed on purpose to suit a role. It is like a theatrical boarding house. And it is a mystery. A tale that is told too many times becomes truth, even if it cannot be remembered by anyone. Such is the ontological status of Wise Children. It is the first vision after birth. A family can be invented as much as a story. A family can also be unwritten. It's not as if money, good British pounds (or American dollars) hasn't got a lot to do with storytelling. And a rich family may be not unlike the greatest story, the one that is too often told.
The novel is concerned with the left hand of success, the [...] side of the nation. A dark memory can be either imagined or fully faced, like the spectator faces the stage of a cheap theatre. Legitimacy may become as dubious as performance. And performance may just be the dark side of history. Or British history may be a permanent stage set: "He (Melchior Hazard, the great Shakespearean actor) wanted a house that looked as if each leather armchair in the library had been there at least half a century."

Angela Carter seems to presuppose a great British tradition in theatre, an impolute House of Culture, embodied in Shakespeare, which would be betrayed twice: first by British pretension, and secondly by the material solidity of Hollywood. How can imagination be saved in a society in which the best often collides and intermingles with the worst, in which the legitimate is nothing but the impersonation of the illegitimate?

Can anything ever be "saved" by Hollywood, while we know that the American tragedy is that nothing ever "succeeds" as it ought to? Where is one to find something truly new, and deep, and meaningful? The novel is also concerned with the incapacity of husbands to provide with legitimate heredities. Emotional life is at its best a hazard. Can a culture retain and cultivate its maturity in adequate terms when the men can't sustain legitimacy at home?

Can "magic realism" really be adapted to suit such a theme as British performance art? The technique of García Márquez and Rushdie is in my opinion better suited to longer, deeper sagas, and to the telling of history. The subject matter in this book is rather more frivolous; there are grounds of interest but this are not developed into a structure appropriate for this technique.

Carter's last hurrah........2006-02-15

When she found out she would die of cancer, Carter decided to write one last novel as an expression and celebration of life. She challenges all taboos in society. She leads us to question why we feel uncomfortable with the elderly, "illegitimate" culture etc.

The novel is written in a complex manner, with time as fluid a theme as language.
Everything is more of an experience than a read. Memories are brought on by smeel or songs.
The shakepearean theme is constant, which also accounts of the large number of twins and confusion.
READ IT.- or do so in college.

It'd be wise to give this book a miss........2005-12-07

I had to read Wise Children for my A-level English lit class. I'm not fond of this book to say the least and it pains me to think I have to reread it sometime soon. It's unnecessarily filled with incestuous relationships written in the most dire and ponderous narrative possible from the view of a 75 year old woman reminiscing her long gone heydays.

Carter's language has the potential in creating something of a worthy read but the structure and content of the novel diminish and incinerate every possibilty. As if the narrative isn't dire as it is, the chronology of events are manipulated and Dora digresses a great deal. We're soon left wondering What The Hell Is Going On? and need to re-read the same paragraph to grasp hold of the labrynth like links between each events.

This book lacks in a plot with any substance and ends exactly how it started. What a waste of time.

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The Color Purple (York Notes Advanced)
Neil McEwan
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

The Color Purple

ASIN: 0582784344

Selected Poems of Sylvia Plath (York Notes Advanced)

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Selected Poems of Sylvia Plath (York Notes Advanced)

Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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York Notes on William Shakespeare's "Winter's Tale" (York Notes Advanced)
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York Notes on Shakespeare's "Othello" (York Notes Advanced)

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York Notes on Shakespeare's "Othello" (York Notes Advanced)
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York Notes Advanced on "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens (York Notes Advanced)

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York Notes Advanced on "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens (York Notes Advanced)
Nigel Messenger
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