Product Description
Fanny's First Play is a 1911 play by G. Bernard Shaw. A play by a writer who wished to remain anonymous, then later discovered to be written by George Bernard Shaw and produced by The Shuberts. It opened in Sep 16, 1912 and had the longest first run of any of Shaw's plays. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Should people strive to have fun and avoid respectability?

Shaw explores the question whether people should enjoy themselves as best they can or comply with the laws of "respectability" as mandated by society. This is a variation of Shaw's feelings that the Nietzchean concept of the "superman" is correct. There are people who are above the general population because of their intellect and who are not obligated to comply with the rules that were written for the general population to control them from doing harm to themselves and others.

Shaw explores this issue in several ways. There are the generational gaps - the different perspectives of life - of Fanny and her father, Margaret and her parents, Bobby and his parents, and the servant Juggins and his family who are dukes and duchesses. There are other situations that raise the issue. Bobby and Margaret are engaged, but realize that they are unfit for one another. How can they comply with society's rules about breaking engagements? Shaw introduces a young man for Margaret and a young woman for Bobby who are interested in having fun, both have questionable character, and all four of them serve time in jail as a result of seeking to have fun. How do they and their parents handle their jail experience? Bobby's and Margaret's parent reconsider whether they have been living a proper life. Shouldn't they have fun as their children have? Did they waste their lives? Additionally, should people follow the requirements of religion as people generally understand them? Aren't they the same as the mandates of society, being developed for the general population and not for the "superman"?

The play is a story within a story. The above-described tale was written by Fanny who persuaded her father to have it produced privately before four celebrated critics. Fanny and the critics appear at the beginning and end of Shaw's work, as bookends to the humorous drama about Bobby, Margaret, and the others. Her life, as becomes clear in the second bookmark, mirrors what is in her play. Shaw reveals the views of the four critics about "Fanny's enterprise," and their views are humorous and ridiculous. One of the critics says he thinks the play was written by Shaw and all four make foolish remarks about the great writer.

A stylish and funny tale
This play is social commentary at its most hilarious and brilliant. Shaw attacks conformity with a vengeance and produces a masterpiece. He creates characters, which are the equivalent of parrots and zombies, because they are so bent on fitting in, then adds two outrageous characters to the mix. The result is like throwing a torch on a mountain of gunpowder. (Isn't that always the case when non-conformists begin to rouse the walking dead?)
Shaw points out the main danger of social conformity with great style and humor. That main danger is when custom clashes with conscience, and custom wins - when fitting in skews our priorities to the point where we put doing what's expected of us above doing the right thing.
George Bernard Shaw created numerous masterpieces over the span of his writing career. He has the distinction of being the only person to ever be awarded both an Oscar and the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was a very humble and conscientious man, a political activist and a vegetarian. His conscientiousness shows in his work by his inability to write meaningless fluff at a time when fluff dominated the stage. His trademark is his classic use of ample humor in dramas with serious subject matter. It takes a special kind of genius to be able to pull that off as flawlessly as he did.
This book is excellent. It's as thought provoking as it is entertaining. There are times when you can't help laughing out loud. You'll be better for reading it. His works just have that effect - they both enrich and uplift you.

a wonderful jab in the eye at society's obsession with propriety!
This work is a wonderful jab in the eye at society's obsession with propriety. Though the customs have changed, the principle remains the same: we are all expected to behave a certain way around our peers, and we go out of our way to fit in and keep from being rejected.
Shaw takes this to an extreme, but still believable, level by giving us characters stuck so far in their rut of conformity that they put social norms above everything including the wellbeing of their own family members. He takes social conformity to the most absurd heights then shakes things up by adding a couple of scandalously non-conformist characters to the cast, bringing everything to a zany head.
Shaw is my favorite of the Victorian playwrights. His works were revolutionary in many ways. Use of humor was rare and exceptional for playwrights during that era, but Shaw was not afraid to make audiences laugh. He also tackled serious moral, political, and social issues in his plays at a time when sappy dramas were all the rage. He was truly bold and innovative and greatly contributed to dramatic art. He had an amazing gift, the ability to make people think while simultaneously making them laugh.
Reading Shaw's works are a genuine treat. All of his plays are fabulous. His characters are memorable, and his humor is brilliant.
This is a wonderful book, charming, significant, and insightful. I can't recommend it enough.

Shaw was a true genius!
Oh my goodness! I could never put a weekly dinner with friends first if my child went missing and can't imagine anyone who ever would, but Shaw gives us a couple so deadened and trapped by tradition and routine that they can't see what really matters anymore, and the other couple is just as bad. We get to see bowing to social pressures at its saddest and most ridiculous in this hilarious look at a serious issue.

This story was smart and funny. I loved it and wanted more when it was over. I'll have to buy another one of his books. I just love his style.

I can't resist any chance I can get to peek into the mind of a genius, and Shaw was a true genius. This story was delightful and brilliant.

It's as thought provoking as it is entertaining.
... Read more

Product Description

This collection was designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically, chronologically and by category, making it easier to access individual books, stories and poems. This collection offers lower price, the convenience of a one-time download, and it reduces the clutter in your digital library. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography.

Customer Reviews (2)

Fantastic!
Works of George Bernard Shaw. (30+ Works). Pygmalion, Major Barbara, Candida, The Irrational Knot, An Unsocial Socialist & more. FREE Author's biography ... version. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

If you have any interest in Bernard Shaw this is a must ebook. The collection presents a wonderful overview of Shaw's developement as a playwright and thinker. Shaw's words and ideas made him the father of the modern English drama. His plays are little gems filled with wit and insight.

Great ebook
Works of George Bernard Shaw. (30+ Works). Pygmalion, Major Barbara, Candida, The Irrational Knot, An Unsocial Socialist & more. FREE Author's biography and Stories in the trial version.

This is an excellent anthology of the works of George Bernard Shaw. The ebook is very nicely done. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
Bernard Shaw's Preface to Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw
********************************************************** We are pleased to offer thousands of books for the Kindle, including thousands of hard-to-find literature and classic fiction books.
Click on our Editor Name (eBook-Ventures) next to the book title above to view all of the titles that are currently available. **********************************************************
... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Drama / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Drama / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more

Product Description
A huge collection of over 20 plays by George Bernard Shaw with an active table of contents.

Augustus Does His Bit
Androcles and the Lion
Annajanska, the Bolshevik Empress
Arms and the Man
Caesar and Cleopatra
Candida
Captain Brassbound's Conversion
The Devil's Disciple
The Doctor's Dilemma
Fanny's First Play
Getting Married
Great Catherine
How He Lied to Her Husband
John Bull's Other Island
Major Barbara
The Man of Destiny
Misalliance
O'Flaherty V.C.
Overruled
Press Cuttings
Pygmalion
The Inca of Perusalem
The Philanderer
The Shewing-Up Of Blanco Posnet
You Never Can Tell
Warren's Profession
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Classics of GBS
Another book I ordered for my Kindle for Ireland Trip. If you like GBS, you'll need the essentials here. Great for theatre buffs like me :)

There is a table of contents
To find the table of contents - when the first page of the book appears, just press the appropriate button to go back one page and all 26 of the play titles appear.

Use the 5 way controler to bring the cursor to the desired title, click once and a list of all the acts in the play appears. Go to act one or two or three (if you so desire), and click -the text appears, and off you go.

No Table of Contents
Amazon needs to start implementing a little quality control. What good are 26 plays if you can't jump to the one you're looking for? ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very funny one act play
This one act comedy, written by George Bernard Shaw during the First World War, was praised during its day, but is not widely known now. Virtually every event in the play is hilarious.

Lord Augustus Highcastle, a colonel in the English army, is 45 years old. He is the scion of a prestigious family with officials in both the English and German governments. He is a fool and any who meets him can see it.

In fact the Germans once captured him when he foolhardily advanced against them. The Germans released him within an hour because they figured that it would better serve their interests if Augustus remained in the English fighting forces.Some English people similarly said that since Augustus was on the job, England needed an additional million soldiers to protect the homeland. The play pocks fun at the war and the way that the English administration is handling it.

The plot focuses upon Augustus having a secret document showing how the English placed their guns. A woman decides to steal the document from Augustus to show what a fool he is, and the play shows how she does so. While the play is not fashionable, it is a delight to read.

... Read more

Product Description
Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. 1st World Library-Literary Society is a non-profit educational organization. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG- - On the 15th June 1903, in the early forenoon, a medical student, surname Redpenny, Christian name unknown and of no importance, sits at work in a doctor's consulting-room. He devils for the doctor by answering his letters, acting as his domestic laboratory assistant, and making himself indispensable generally, in return for unspecified advantages involved by intimate intercourse with a leader of his profession, and amounting to an informal apprenticeship and a temporary affiliation. Redpenny is not proud, and will do anything he is asked without reservation of his personal dignity if he is asked in a fellow-creaturely way. He is a wide-open-eyed, ready, credulous, friendly, hasty youth, with his hair and clothes in reluctant transition from the untidy boy to the tidy doctor.Redpenny is interrupted by the entrance of an old serving-woman who has never known the cares, the preoccupations, the responsibilities, jealousies, and anxieties of personal beauty. She has the complexion of a never-washed gypsy, incurable by any detergent; and she has, not a regular beard and moustaches, which could at least be trimmed and waxed into a masculine presentableness, but a whole crop of small beards and moustaches, mostly springing from moles all over her face. She carries a duster and toddles about meddle-somely, spying out dust so diligently that whilst she is flicking off one speck she is already looking elsewhere for another. In conversation she has the same trick, hardly ever looking at the person she is addressing except when she is excited. She has only one manner, and that is the manner of an old family nurse to a child just after it has learnt to walk. She has used her ugliness to secure indulgences unattainable by Cleopatra or Fair Rosamund, and has the further great advantage over them that age increases her qualifi-cation instead of impairing it. Being an industrious, agreeable, and popular old soul, she is a walking sermon on the vanity of feminine prettiness. Just as Redpenny has no discovered Christian name, she has no discovered surname, and is known throughout the doctors' quarter between Cavendish Square and the Marylebone Road simply as Emmy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A humorous take on serious ethical issues
This is a humorous take on the serious issue of a doctor being forced to choose between patients in a life or death situation. In this case the doctor must choose between a friend and a rival with his personal feelings playing havoc with him. This is Shaw's comedic way of bringing up the issue of doctors being made to play God when medicine is in short supply, and he compels us to think about how those decisions are made.
Shaw pokes fun at his cast of characters who mirror people in real life. He raises valid questions about medical ethics while making you laugh at the inanity of it all. This is a wonderful masterpiece, funny, relevant, and great food for thought.
George Bernard Shaw created numerous masterpieces over the span of his writing career. He has the distinction of being the only person to ever be awarded both an Oscar and the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was a very humble and conscientious man, a political activist and a vegetarian. His conscientiousness shows in his work by his inability to write meaningless fluff at a time when fluff dominated the stage. His trademark is his classic use of ample humor in dramas with serious subject matter. It takes a special kind of genius to be able to pull that off as flawlessly as he did.

Brilliant and Raises Serious Questions..
In this excellent story a doctor finds himself personally and ethically conflicted when he must decide whom he will give the only cure to, a poor medical colleague who is a good man or a brilliant artist who is an unpleasant individual and whose wife the doctor is in love with.
The characters in this tale are amazingly well conceived, the premise is most intriguing, and the dialogue is very witty.
This is a brilliant work that examines serious issues that occurred, and still occur, in the medical field. The theme of the play raises the question of what happens when life-saving treatments are so scarce or expensive that only some people can have them while others must go without. In those cases who should decide who gets treated and for what reasons?

Shaw is my favorite of the Victorian playwrights. His works were revolutionary in many ways. Use of humor was rare and exceptional for playwrights during that era, but Shaw was not afraid to make audiences laugh. He also tackled serious moral, political, and social issues in his plays at a time when sappy dramas were all the rage. He was truly bold and innovative and greatly contributed to dramatic art. He had an amazing gift, the ability to make people think while simultaneously making them laugh.

Reading Shaw's works are a genuine treat. All of his plays are fabulous. His characters are memorable, and his humor is brilliant.

Delightful and brilliant!
Sometimes I forget that doctors are just as susceptible to allowing their feelings to get in the way of doing their job as anyone else. This was a great story about a doctor struggling with the feelings he had for the people in his care and how it affected his decision regarding their treatment.

I thought the way that Shaw characterized the medical staff was hilarious, and the dilemma he put the doctor in was very intriguing. I couldn't wait to find out who he chose and was tempted to skip ahead to see.

This story was smart and funny. I loved it and wanted more when it was over. I'll have to buy another one of his books. I just love his style.

I can't resist any chance I can get to peek into the mind of a genius, and Shaw was a true genius. This story was delightful and brilliant.

the Doctor's Dilemma
THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA is one of Shaw's most biting critical commentaries...this time on doctors.Shaw hated doctors, as a result of a botched operation on his foot, so here he portrays them as a group ofignorant, bull-headed windbags.All, that is, except for one doctor, whohas actually found a cure for tuberculosis.The "dilemma" in thetitle is whether to use the cure on a talented young painter who is a moraland ethical sleazebag, or on an upstanding middle-aged physician who is agood soul, albeit a boring and relatively mundane one.All this iscomplicated by the fact that the doctor is in love with the painter's wife!The biggest problem with the play is that it has lost some of its impetusin the last century.Antibiotics can now cure tuberculosis, and themedical profession is far more restricted in its use of"experimental" treatments than it was then.However, Shaw's witand invective is still poignant even at the end of the twentieth century. A must-read for Bernard Shaw enthusiasts.... ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Notting Hill (London, England); Fantasy fiction; Political fiction; Notting Hill (London, England) - Fiction; Fiction / Mystery ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Hitch Your Wagon to Shaw.
George Bernard Shaw is supposedly the opposite of Shakespeare, who was too pessimistic, being described as a 'serious optimist.'In Shaw's play "Man and Superman" creative evolution is the topic in serious dramatic terms, performed in 1903.He is the precursor of what is now called "creative intelligent design" as described in the book OF PANDAS AND PEOPLE (1993).While he had problems with the biological randomness of Darwin, he pretty much eliminated God from the equation of how human life began.

The God-incorporated alternative to Darwinism now being proposed by who else but the President of the United States of America,Shaw felt that the life force is transmitted by rare men of genius who were selected by nature to carry on the work of building up an intellectual consciousness.In "Man and Superman" the Don Juan was an asexual but in a way religious and felt that life could be improved and that meant getting rid of 'imprisoning conventions.'

The intelligent design is a hot topic now among theologians, educators and scientists who want this concept taught in the schools along with Darwin (leaving out the Biblical account).Shaw left out completedly the thought of God having anything to do whatsoever with the human existence; it was just a 'what-if' story idea which extremely religious people believe to be the truth.

Shaw's "Devil's Disciple" was his first commercial success with Richard Mansfield as the matinee idol starring in the play set during the American Revoluiton.His earlier "Man and Superman" was placed on a restricted list by the libraries so it could not infect young minds with its unorthodox view of God and matrimony.His play about prostitution, so prevalent in the century he was so prolific with his works, "Mrs. Warren's Profession," played to a sold out audience with up to 3,000 people turned away at the door.This popular sensation was closed down by the police and the entire cast faced charges of 'disorderly conduct.'

Every star wanted to be Henry Higgins in "Pygmalion" played by Peter O'Toole and Leslie Howard.Rex Harrison played the part in the movie, "My Fair Lady."Lynn Fontanne and Wendy Hiller, along with Mrs. Partick Campbell on whom the play was based, wanted to play Eliza Doolittle.

He wrote to Mrs. Campbell "I can't be sympathetic; these things simply make me furious," when her son was killed in 1918 by the Germans as the war was ended.He wrote articulate letters throughout his life to many people, "some subjects that language cannot accommodate."

He had his place in our world and prophesied what was to come on Broadway, the British stage, and the controversial world of science and biology.He was the forerunner to beat all!

WRITER TO WRITER
In only one hundred pages Chesterton encapsulates the influences on and works of George Bernard Shaw, and he is on top form. I should say up front for those that want the Drive-Thru version, go direct to chapters 2 and 6 (35 pages total) for a sound grasp of the man, the playwright, and the later works; and double back to chapter 5 (20 pages) for the earlier works. The last chapter explains how Shaw lost his faith in humanism through reading Plato [tis se philei, o Sokrates;], and fell back in disarray to Nietzsche for backup.

What makes this biography so incisive? Firstly the fact that Chesterton and Shaw were old friends and debating partners. Second, that they were both literary gents of sharply contrasting style, and consequently struck generous bright sparks off one another. Under this stimulus the normally verbose Chesterton style is reigned in, which is a relief to those who have ever been frustrated by it. (It should go without saying that he is worth persevering with, but I took about five reads of 'Orthodoxy' to really get it. His fiction is much more concise - odd but true.)

Enjoyable disagreement
Since Chesterton and Shaw so vehemently disagreed with each other on many topics, one would expect this quick text to be filled with antagonism.Instead, it is a delightful explanation of Shaw's background, biography and beliefs, told in a gentle, light-hearted manner.Chesterton shows a great respect for his adversary, while making clear his own views through quite a few of the one-sentence quotables for which he is well known. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (9)

No longer banned but still shocking
This brilliant play was originally banned as immoral due to its subject matter, though now it's lauded for its astute view of the corruption at the heart of Victorian society. Shaw takes on the topic of poverty vs. immorality in the context of Victorian society with great style and wit.
In this story a very bright young girl begins to grow suspicious about the mystery and people surrounding her wealthy mother, and this leads her to a discovery that shakes her world to its very foundation but also explains the strange behavior of the people around her. This new found knowledge greatly complicates her life but also causes some hilarious situations to arise.
George Bernard Shaw created numerous masterpieces over the span of his writing career. He has the distinction of being the only person to ever be awarded both an Oscar and the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was a very humble and conscientious man, a political activist and a vegetarian. His conscientiousness shows in his work by his inability to write meaningless fluff at a time when fluff dominated the stage. His trademark is his classic use of ample humor in dramas with serious subject matter. It takes a special kind of genius to be able to pull that off as flawlessly as he did.

A Hilarious, Shocking, and Brilliant Book!
This was excellent. Shaw has given us yet another strong and intelligent female character in a brilliantly humorous tale that exposes the seedy underbelly of prim and proper Victorian society. It's a powerful indictment of Victorian era society, which exposes its corruption and hypocrisy. Even today the subject matter of this story is shocking, so I can certainly see why it would have caused such a ruckus back then.

As is always the case with Shaw's works, the characters are very well fleshed out and mirror people you know in real life. The circumstances are wildly, laugh-out-loud entertaining, the plot is beautifully ironic, and the message is as serious as a heart attack. In this work he doesn't pull a single punch.

Shaw is my favorite of the Victorian playwrights. His works were revolutionary in many ways. Use of humor was rare and exceptional for playwrights during that era, but Shaw was not afraid to make audiences laugh. He also tackled serious moral, political, and social issues in his plays at a time when sappy dramas were all the rage. He was truly bold and innovative and greatly contributed to dramatic art. He had an amazing gift, the ability to make people think while simultaneously making them laugh.

Reading Shaw's works are a genuine treat. All of his plays are fabulous. His characters are memorable, and his humor is brilliant.
This is a wonderful book, charming, significant, and insightful. I can't recommend it enough.

MILDLY INTERESTING
There is a reason this is a free book.The play was only mildly interesting.Don't even TRY to wade through the author's 'apology' at the beginning.

You can't help but root for Vivie!
In this wonderful play Shaw brilliantly takes on a forbidden subject that got him into trouble back in his day but that's now praised as an excellent and insightful masterpiece. I must agree that it is truly excellent even though the subject it takes on is a very uncomfortable one even now.

You can't help but root for Vivie as she cleverly deals with the hypocritical rogues around her in this hilarious tale.

This story was smart and funny. I loved it and wanted more when it was over. I'll have to buy another one of his books. I just love his style.

I can't resist any chance I can get to peek into the mind of a genius, and Shaw was a true genius. This story was delightful and brilliant.

Mrs. Warren's Profession
This is a play by George Bernard Shaw.I played the part of Mrs. Warren.It is a marvelous play that was very scandelous for its time (1895).Beautifully written.Mother-daughter conflict.A jewel in Shaw's crown. ... Read more

Product Description
Speeches for men and women from the plays of G. B. Shaw,the prolific dramatic craftsman.These monologues from "Man andSuperman", "Candida", "You Never Can Tell", and others contain thepith of Shaw's genius. An important addition to the library of anyserious actor. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Drama / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Drama / General; Drama / General; Drama / American; Drama / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Drama / Shakespeare; Juvenile Nonfiction / Drama; Literary Criticism / Drama; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A great play
Comparing Shaw's Candida and Voltaire's Candide adds a dimension of understanding to both. Voltaire's Candide focuses on the enlightenment of a very naïve young boy who is influenced by his teacher, the philosopher Pangloss, who teaches him that this is "the best of all possible worlds" and therefore everything in it and everything that happens is not only good but the best that could possibly be. Voltaire was pocking fun at the philosopher Leibniz who taught this notion. Leibniz argued that God is good and all that he creates must of necessity be good. Voltaire shows that this is a ridiculous notion - according to this view, why save a man who is drowning since his death is "obviously" the best thing there is. The boy comes to understand that philosophy/thinking is not good; one should instead live life to the fullest.

Shaw's Candida focuses on a woman and what women want from men. However, the comedy in three acts also contains a very naïve young boy and it too enlightens men who have a wrong concept. The eighteen-year-old boy falls in love with the wife of an approximately forty-year-old pastor. She is fifteen years older than the boy.Both the pastor and the boy argue about who Candida should live with. Both want to give her the best of all possible worlds. Both ask Candida to decide between them. But, as in the Voltaire tale, Candida is not interested in the best of all possible worlds. She makes her choice based on an entirely different desire.

A humorous look at what women want
Shaw's feminist leanings come to light in this humorous tale of two men fighting over a woman who outranks them in intelligence. I thought the choice of characters used to engage the topic via a love triangle was perfect: a brilliant woman, a clergyman settled into his routine, and a dashing poet promising romance and excitement. I really enjoyed the story and wondered which man Candida would ultimately choose.
As usual, Shaw turns everything on its head. Candida's husband is a prominent and imposing man in public but in reality can't function without his wife. Candida herself is kind and clever and gently rules the roost. The idealistic poet is the catalyst who causes all to confront themselves, their needs, desires, and reality. It's a wonderful story with an explosive ending.
George Bernard Shaw created numerous masterpieces over the span of his writing career. He has the distinction of being the only person to ever be awarded both an Oscar and the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was a very humble and conscientious man, a political activist and a vegetarian. His conscientiousness shows in his work by his inability to write meaningless fluff at a time when fluff dominated the stage. His trademark is his classic use of ample humor in dramas with serious subject matter. It takes a special kind of genius to be able to pull that off as flawlessly as he did.
This book is excellent. It's as thought provoking as it is entertaining. There are times when you can't help laughing out loud. You'll be better for reading it. His works just have that effect - they both enrich and uplift you.

They are not battling over a dimwitted but lovely bimbo...
In this wonderful play, Shaw addresses the topic of what women really want in a man through the character of Candida, who is a brilliant woman responsible for her husband's success. When a handsome, young poet sets out to steal her away from her husband, whom the poet sees as too boring and complacent, Candida is forced to choose between the two men.
This is a fascinating character study that analyzes love, loyalty, and attraction in the context of a smart woman's desires. Shaw's choice of an extremely intelligent woman as the prize the two men are fighting over takes the premise and the stakes up to a much higher level and also increases my respect for the men involved. They are not battling over a dimwitted but lovely bimbo. They are vying for a very capable woman who is able to assess and address the situation intelligently.
Shaw is my favorite of the Victorian playwrights. His works were revolutionary in many ways. Use of humor was rare and exceptional for playwrights during that era, but Shaw was not afraid to make audiences laugh. He also tackled serious moral, political, and social issues in his plays at a time when sappy dramas were all the rage. He was truly bold and innovative and greatly contributed to dramatic art. He had an amazing gift, the ability to make people think while simultaneously making them laugh.

Love triangle that raises the question of what good women really want and need
This was hilarious. I loved the way the illusion and the reality were exact opposites. Shaw is the master of the art of turning things upside down and making them humorous while also bringing up serious issues and causing us to really think about them.

Here we have a love triangle that raises the question of what good women really want and need.

This story was smart and funny. I loved it and wanted more when it was over. I'll have to buy another one of his books. I just love his style.

Amazing introduction
Peter Gahan's introduction to G.B. Shaw's play Candida in the new Penguin Classics edition shows an old favorite play in a very new light. Not only does Gahan read between the lines of the plot, he also draws the reader's attention to on-stage props, names, and even off-stage happenings, which might otherwise easily go unnoticed. He makes some truly amazing connections with a multitude of other works of art, such as Yeats' poetry, pre-Raphelite paintings, andWagnerian opera.This new edition of Candida is worth buying for its introduction alone. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG-- To the irreverent - and which of us will claim entire exemption from that comfortable classification? - there is something very amusing in the attitude of the orthodox criticism toward Bernard Shaw. He so obviously disregards all the canons and unities and other things which every well-bred dramatist is bound to respect that his work is really unworthy of serious criticism (orthodox). Indeed he knows no more about the dramatic art than, according to his own story in "The Man of Destiny," Napoleon at Tavazzano knew of the Art of War. But both men were successes each in his way - the latter won victories and the former gained audiences, in the very teeth of the accepted theories of war and the theatre. Shaw does not know that it is unpardonable sin to have his characters make long speeches at one another, apparently thinking that this embargo applies only to long speeches which consist mainly of bombast and rhetoric. There never was an author who showed less predilection for a specific medium by which to accomplish his results. He recognized, early in his days, many things awry in the world and he assumed the task of mundane reformation with a confident spirit. It seems such a small job at twenty to set the times aright. He began as an Essayist, but who reads essays now-a-days? - he then turned novelist with no better success, for no one would read such preposterous stuff as he chose to emit. He only succeeded in proving that absolutely rational men and women - although he has created few of the latter - can be most extremely disagreeable to our conventional way of thinking. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

terrible printing
This edition of Arms and the Man has a terrible publisher who seemed like they cut and paste the text and slapped it on some paper.There are misspellings, awkward punctuations, and improper spacing of sections.They even are missing several of the last few pages of the book, which is utterly inexcusable.This version was hard to read.They say you can't judge a book by it's cover, but this I think this plain book cover is totally indicative of the effort that went into printing this version.

The Play and The Book
Shaw is a genius... even his weakest plays are virtuoso exhibitions of his remarkable insight into human behavior and his remarkable ability to entertain with both drama and comedy. Arms and the Man is NOT his weakest play and is a must read for fans of drama.
One of the unique aspects of Shaw as a playwright is his inclusion of extensive commentary in his text.Detailed descriptions not only of what the characters wear but what they look like, down to the shape of a nose or the length of a chin. Set details such as the condition of the napkins on a table, the exact year a particular piece on the set was created, the sloppiness of the handwriting on a note on the desk... details the director may express in his interpretation, but can never deliver as a direct experience to the audience. Compare this with Shakespeare, who restricted himself strictly to the dialogue, leaving all other details to the imagination of the director or reader. It is always true that reading a drama is a completely different experience than seeing it staged; Shaw apparently embraced that difference and took the pains to create a richer back story for the reader.

One of the best endings ever
I first read Arms and the Man some years ago and found it a cool play. It still holds up today. However, it is not a strong play as I hoped. Arms and the Man is not what I describe as a gripping, edge-of-the-seat play, but rather it is a light comedy that invokes the feeling of idealistic setting while George Bernard Shaw mocks the people who live quite comfortably because of their socioeconomic status. What he was trying to do didn't work for me, and I didn't laugh that much anytime there was supposed to be a comedic moment. Honestly, I would have given Arms and the Man a rating of 3, but the ending of the play is undeniably one of the best, most classic endings I've read. And it was literally the reason why I choose to read the play again. Take that away, Arms and the Man is pretty average as plays come. The reading is quite simple but little bit confusing. The descriptions are of world-class and terse. It is easy to visualize the setting. I found the conversations easy to follow yet are filled with small gaps. In my book, I find it weird that the prime symbols, that is, the "apostrophe" symbols (such as dont for don't and havent for haven't) are omitted throughout the play. Meanwhile, Louis Kronenberger wrote an introduction for the play, and I thought it was boring and too analytical. Overall, I recommend Arms and the Man to be read by children and adults alike, and I think it's a very sentimental play with the one of the best endings you'll see.

Arms and the Man
Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw. Published by MobileReference (mobi).

This is witty, subtle, and surprising treat from the author of Pygmalion. Shaw fashions the subjects of false ideals, heroism, romanticism, and the fake glories of war into a well-constructed farce which sustains through the very last line.

BATTLE FOR A CHOCOLATE CREAM SOLDIER
George Bernard Shaw's ARMS AND THE MAN (original production: 1894) continues to entertain audiences a century later. Considered one of his "Pleasant" plays by the author (one might say, Comedies) this amusing
parody on War and Love is set in distant Bulgaria in the 1880's.Throughout the piece we witness curious interpersonal relations between the daughter of the household and her handsome officer and a gentleman
fiancé. But the small cast engages in almost farcical surprise developments: there's a saucy maid with upper-class pretensions,
and a dignified fellow servant with her best interests at heart. Raina's parents are the prototype for modern sitcoms, with their behind-the back finagling and opposing motivations.

As if the war between Bulgarians and Serbians were insufficient to provide dramatic chaos, Shaw introduces a literary wild card (THE MAN)
into this volatile mix: one Swiss mercenary named Bluntschli. As a fugitive from a ferocious calvary charge, the desperate man makes a nocturnal entrance into the heroine's bedroom, fleeing immediate death by climbing up a drain pipe--begging pathetic sanctuary from the
impressionable young woman.Should she hide and protect him--an enemy of her country, or turn him in?What begins as a potentially serious situation gradually devolves into delightful comedy and ends in romantic farce.

Shaw's sardonic wit mercilessly spotlights the manly art of war, false appearances (bravery, courtliness, obedience, social pretension), plus marital attempts to hoodwink the gullible spouse.Women's hearts seem fickle, while only the Man remains true to his original feelings.Despite the subtle themes of the hopelessness of being In Service and the superficial reputations of soldiers and maidens, this play offers moments of humor interspersed with wonderful opportunities for Stage Business.Regardless of the verisimilitude of the denouement women readers should take up arms to defend their men--no matter their rank. In the end it is Women's arms which prove stronger than Men's.

... Read more

Product Description
Eric Bentley's graceful look at George Bernard Shaw was first published over 50 years ago, and time has only strengthened the conviction of his ideas and arguments about Shaw. When it arrived in the late 1940's, this book was hailed by the great poet William Carlos Williams as "the best treatise on contemporary manners I think I have ever read. I was fascinated and rewarded in the depths of my soul." Even Shaw himself described the book as "the best critical description of my public activities I have yet come across." ... Read more

Product Description
The Doctor's Dilemma is a play by G. Bernard Shaw first staged in 1906. The extensive preface to the play points out that there is another dilemma: poor doctors are easily tempted to perform costly but useless (and in the best case harmless) operations or treatments on their patients for personal gain. "Can this man make better use of his leg than I of fifty pounds?" This was reportedly inspired on the behaviour of a prominent Ear Nose and Throat specialist in London who had developed a simple and harmless operation to remove the uvula. This did not benefit any of his patients but made the surgeon a great deal of money. The play also mentions (then) new developments in the germ theory of disease, namely opsonins, and included socialist and anti-vivisectionist viewpoints. Specifically, it could be considered as advocating a National Health Service, such as was created in Britain four decades later - since a doctor who is employed by the state and gets a fixed salary for treating whoever needs medical attention would not face the dilemma discussed in the foreword. The theme of the play remains current: in any time, there will be treatments that are so scarce or costly that some people can have them while others cannot. Who is to decide, and on which grounds is the decision to be taken?

George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950) was an Irish playwright. Although Shaw's first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, his talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60 plays. Nearly all his writings deal sternly with prevailing social problems, but have a vein of comedy to make their stark themes more palatable. Shaw examined education, marriage, religion, government, health care and class privilege, and found them all defective. He was most angered by the exploitation of the working class, and most of his writings censure that abuse. An ardent socialist, Shaw wrote many brochures and speeches for the Fabian Society. He became an accomplished orator in the furtherance of its causes, which included gaining equal political rights for men and women, alleviating abuses of the working class, rescinding private ownership of productive land, and promoting healthful lifestyles. He is the only person to have been awarded both the Nobel Prize for Literature (1925) and an Oscar (1938). These were for his contributions to literature and for his work on the film Pygmalion, respectively. Shaw wanted to refuse his Nobel Prize outright because he had no desire for public honors, but accepted it at his wife's behest: she considered it a tribute to Ireland. He did reject the monetary award, requesting it be used to finance translation of Swedish books to English. - Wikipedia ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

May superior people avoid obeying the law?
Shaw satirizes several things in this magnificent play. The principle theme is a doctor who feels certain that he has found a cure for tuberculoses. He is approached by a beautiful woman who wants him to include her husband into his medical trials. He only has place for one more person, either the husband or an old poor unsuccessful doctor. His dilemma is that he has fallen in love with the wife and needs to decide if he wants to help the husband live. If the husband dies, he will have a chance to marry the widow who he thinks is attracted to him. Shaw calls this a "moral," but not a "legal" dilemma, and readers need to decide if he is correct and, if so, why?

Shaw introduces a handful of other doctors, all of whom are pompously certain that they can cure people by their own methods, each different than the others, while even a non-physician reader will realize that what their claims are rubbish. Many of their patients die because of their treatments. One of these doctors is a physician who misuses our protagonist's serum and thereby kills his patients. Our protagonist refers the husband to this doctor.

Shaw mocks others in this play. There is a newspaper reporter who is unable to see what is happening before him, unable to understand events, unable to write and spell.

Shaw raises an interesting and thought-provoking question in this play, found in some of his other plays, whether a person who is a genius, a "Nietzschean Superman," must obey the laws that were established to control the general public. The husband is such a person. He is a superb artist. Yet others consider him rouge. He borrows money with no intent to repay. He marries a woman without disclosing that he is already married. Shaw mocks himself when he has the husband say that he is a follower of Bernard Shaw's teaching about the "Superman."
... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more