Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #525039 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 181 pages

Customer Reviews

Into the American Self
Wilder's play represents an exploration into the American self. The play shows how common people live in a small town in New Jersey. People's dreams, aspirations, fustrations and desires are rendered in all their dimensions and complexities. "Our Town" is a play to appreciate life with all its shadows and lights. Wilder is a master when he shows the transcendendal dimentions of common life. Moreover, "Our Town" makes the reader understand the whole meaning of the American dream, how the States owe their greatness to the effort and sorrows of common individuals like Wilder's characters.

For schoolkids only
I bought this play second-hand purely because I was interested to see why every American book or film contains a reference to it somewhere. I assume it's because high school pupils perform it: certainly no one over the age of 17 could be taken in by its overwhelming sentimentality and 'golly gee, life goes on' philsosophy. The character of the stage manager is a half-hearted stab at post-modernism, but he can't disguise the fact that nothing of any interest happens. I don't care how many prizes it won.