Product Description

Arthur Birling, a prosperous manufacturer in the early years of this century, is holding a family dinner party to celebrate his daughter's engagement. Into this cosy scene intrudes the harsh figure of a police inspector investigating the suicide of a young working-class woman. Under the pressure of his interrogation, every member of the family turns out to have a shameful secret which links them with her death.....

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3784 in Books
• Published on: 1992-01-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 78 pages

Customer Reviews

loved despite having to read for O level
I first read this play for my O levels many years ago and was immediately hooked. The story is about a family who have all separately affected another person's life through their own selfishness - there's a moral to the story but it is a very entertaining play to read (and watch if you get the chance - there's also a film - black and white but very good) the play has a great twist that leaves you wondering...

An inspector calls
A Review of "An Inspector Calls"
By J.B.Priestly
An inspector calls is a play set in 1912. It is written by J.B. Priestly,who considered himself a spokesman for the average person.
The book is about an inspector who goes to the Birling family'shouse about the sudden death of a girl who has just committed suicide. Theinspector goes round each and everyone of the family asking what linksthey had with Eva Smith. The family reveal secrets which could have playedleading parts which led to the suicide of Eva.
It starts off with theinspector knocking on the Birling family's door. The next thing they knowis that is that they are all sitting round the dining room table withquestions being thrown at them by the inspector. The book starts off quiteslowly but once all the pieces have been put together it really getsgoing.
What make this a really good book are all the twists. They allinterlink with each other and you never know when the next twist is comingup! I have never known such a book to finish in such shock even threeparagraphs before the ending, totally unexpected.
This book did nothave any particular exciting characters. They were just normal averagepeople like you and me. I think this is what Priestly was trying toachieve and he did this well, it could of happened to anyone!
If you read this book, you will need deep concentration becausedespite its easy language all the characters interlink with each other,and have unexpected twists. The message this book is, don't take anyonefor granted and try to not regret anything do everything you can to helpsomeone.
Sam Stone
Sutton Valence School

A truly magnificent read for people of all ages.
I thought the book exceptionally well written, especially as it is based as a childrens play. The author writes with such a success that children and adults alike can enjoy. The play opens with the family sat around the dinner table and immediately you are pictured with a family who it is quite obvious that how they 'look' means everything to them. Immediately you learn who each member of the family is and get to know a little about their character, warming to them all. Mr Birling is a man who most definitely likes the sound of his own voice and he is full of his own self importance and rates sucess solely on finances.However with most characters who are a trite self indulging, one normally becomes bored quite quickly, this is not the case with Mr Birling, his tales are amusing and actually very entertaining. Sat around the table we are allowed to see a little of each person, being able to share in the celebration of the engagement between Gerald and Sheila.

The story rapidly moves up a gear when Inspector Gool arrives, holding me entrapped in his amazing authorative line of questioning. It is wonderful to read; you can almost picture the looks on the faces of everyone concerned, which is them all. It draws you in, as if one is watching the play for real, not reading a book. The whole book has you gripped, not wanting to put it down, needing to know who the 'girl' really was. Having it suddenly dawn that not one member is guilty, but they all are. Without even realising it the tale unfolds from their very lips, the inspector is merely a spectator.

It is interesting to see the way the play develops, the way each person deals with their own guilt and feelings. The play has a remarkeable twist which may be picked up by the reader just before it is realised by the characters.

The ending of this play, leaves you sat there repeating those final words over and over again; makes you go back within the book to re-read certain parts. The book is very clever in the sense that it has one thinking about the way the story dealt with feelings, how when the characters were beginning to act selfishly once more, it really all did come pouring down on them and that this time there really would be no escape. Has one wondering that maybe, just maybe, if acceptance for actions were more forthcoming would the ending be different and isn't it a lesson to us all.

It deals with a lot of social, moral and personal issues that I believe every reader will in some respect be able to identify with. A book written perhaps with the thought in mind of provoking 'people' to challenge their own positions and feelings. This is a book that will never die and will always have a place on my bookshelf.