Pygmalion (Penguin Classics) |
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Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
Shaw radically reworks Ovid's tale with a feminist twist: while Henry Higgins successfully teaches Eliza Doolittle to speak and act like a duchess, she adamantly refuses to be his creation. First produced in 1914, it remains one of Shaw's most popular plays.
The Definitive Text under the editorial supervision of Dan H. Laurence
With an Introduction by Nicholas Grene
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Customer Reviews:
• Really Interesting !
28 July, 2007
This is probably the best edition of one of the best plays ever written ! A very interesting play criticizing society, and showing the link between language and social status. I really love it ! Just read it. It really is an underrated play.
- Amazon Customer Review
• A Great Book...
08 June, 2009
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw was a great read. The action is realistic and the character's dialoug dynamic. The story is about a poor flower girl and how two men place a bet on her. One says that she could pass as duchess if she is taught proper manners, speech, and dress while the other think she can not. This book is filled with many funny moments and tense times. :)
- Amazon Customer Review
• Incredible Wit And Social Commentary: A Great Play With Importance Today
04 July, 2006
George Bernard Shaw uses of wit and insight into England's 1800s arrogant class system to show class is not bred, but made, and the highest class of people see no class at all, being humble enough to know we are equals. Shaw's "Pygmalion" was not written just to add to his wallet with its publication, but to influence society, much the same as Charles Dickens "Oliver Twist" and "David Copperfield" have.
As fun as the musical, "My Fair Lady" is, read Shaw's take on this old Greek myth.
From the plot of whether or not a pauper can made a princess to the subplot of love and true romance, the story is intertwined with memorable characters, delightful banter and intriguing thoughts.
Shaw's understanding of English's accents and how these separated the masses (do they still?) causes me in America to wonder if my Chicago-istic pronunciations affect how I am seen. What about African-American accents, or the New England accents? Does a Kentucky girl's accent come across as higher or lower class than her Alabama neighbors? How do I see others? Am I as affected?
Drop down a little cash, sneak this book into a larger order, and read, "Pygmalion." Review Edith Hamilton's book on mythology, discover who Shaw refers to (as in Galatea and Pygmalion, a fascinating story in its own right).
I fully recommend "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw.
Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com
- Amazon Customer Review
• Pygmalion Rocks!
08 June, 2007
T. Cook writes: A true "diamond in the rough," Pygmalion is one of the cleverest and underrated plays written. Shaw conveys the faulty class system of Europe through the memorable Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. Eliza, a cockney girl from the poor part of London, has trademark accent and original sounds, like "Ah-ah-ah-ow-ow-ow-oo." Despite her poor living conditions, she is able to retain her honor and good character. She often repeats "I'm a good girl, I am." This shows that she is not willing to sell her own body and sacrifice her integrity in order to get by. Henry Higgins, in comparison, is on the higher end of the class scale. His ability to replicate any sound and to place a man within any part of London demonstrates his expertise in his field. He uses vulgar words, however, like "bloody," "devil," and "damned." He is also oblivious to his faults such as his anger and foul language. The differences in characterization show the problems with the class system; the high moral characters are in the lower class while vulgar characters are found in the high class.
While the general population is not as familiar with Pygmalion as it is with My Fair Lady, Pygmalion is superior to its movie counterpart. First, Eliza's strong accent is more evident in the play due to the strange spelling of words; the confusion of the reader in deciphering these words mirror the Londoners' confusion in listening to Eliza. Second, Rex Harrison does not fully convey the volatile nature of Higgins; Higgins in Pygmalion is capable of going from happy to furious within one line and Harrison's emotions are similar to that of a wall.
I highly recommend Pygmalion because it is a classic that is enjoyable to read and better crafted than its more famous movie adaptation.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Terrible Service
23 May, 2009
I ordered the book a month ago and never got it. I will never order from this again. Completely horrible. Think twice before you order anything again
- Amazon Customer Review
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