LeguBrit Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 [spoiler='From Wikipedia'] [color=#000000]An Inspector Calls is a [/color][color=#000000]play[/color][color=#000000] written by English [/color][color=#000000]dramatist[/color][color=#000000] [/color][color=#000000]J. B. Priestley[/color][color=#000000], first performed in 1945 in the [/color][color=#000000]Soviet Union[/color][color=#000000] and 1946 in the UK. It is one of Priestley's best known works for the stage and considered to be one of the classics of mid-20th century English theatre. The play's success and reputation has been boosted in recent years by a successful revival by English director [/color][color=#000000]Stephen Daldry[/color][color=#000000] for the [/color][color=#000000]National Theatre[/color][color=#000000] in 1992.,[/color][color=#000000] and a tour of the UK in 2011-2012.[/color] [color=#000000]The play is a three-act drama, which takes place on a single night in 1912,[/color][color=#000000] focusing on the prosperous middle-class Birling family, [/color][color=#000000]who live in a comfortable home in Brumley, "An industrial city in the North Midlands".[/color][color=#000000] The family is visited by a man calling himself Inspector Goole, who questions the family about the suicide of a young working-class woman, Eva Smith (also known as Daisy Renton). The family are interrogated and revealed to have been responsible for the young woman's exploitation, abandonment and social ruin, effectively leading to her death. Long considered part of the repertory of classic “drawing room” theatre, the play has also been hailed as a scathing critique of the hypocrisies of Victorian/Edwardian English society and as an expression of Priestley’s [/color][color=#000000]Socialist[/color][color=#000000] political principles.[/color] [/spoiler] [color=#000000]In my opinion, this is one of the best plays I've ever seen and one of the best texts I've ever analysed at school (I have at least 5 pages full of notes). So what do you guys think?[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerion Brightflame Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 I did this for both Drama and English GSCE, and then luckied out in both. I played the Inspector, who we got questioned on in the exam. I didn't open the copy they gave us in the exam once. It's nice, at least from a analytical point of view. The messages about how we are a selfish race, and how our individual actions lead to horrible end results are ones that most people could do with knowing. It's not exactly enjoyable to read, but I prefered it to Mice and Men. Plus, that last Inspector speech is such a rush to perform. I can still remember all of it. I probably would have appreciated it more if circumstances at the time had been different, but I enjoyed it none the less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeguBrit Posted December 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 I liked it better than Of Mice and Men because OMAM was such heavy reading. You know, I could read a 400-500 page book in 5-6 hours, but it took me 5 days to finish Of Mice and Men. And also because of the dark hilarity of just how out of touch Arthur Birling is; the Titanic, the First and Second World Wars and Russia's economic state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerion Brightflame Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 Aside from the whole thing where that was intentional Dramatic Irony. Given the pay being set before any of those events.... OMAM was a fairly easy read, but I learnt more about it watching the film than reading the book. It wasn't the sort of book where I could picture everything. Unlike this where I had my image of everything. Oh, and one other thing, I will probably forever be thankful for getting this as my play in drama, becuase I managed to get my now signature trenchcoat for free as a result of doing it.... So much win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 I read this for English. Was a good read. Didn't read Mice and Men though. Read Lord of the Flies instead. I've have already previously stated my dislike for Lord of the Flies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Rai Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 One of those books that you just end up reading for English coursework, isn't it? I certainly enjoyed it, although it gets all utterly random by the end of the book. Dramatic irony and political influence seem to run through the book a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeguBrit Posted December 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 Really? I thought that the ending was the best part. It sent a strong political message that was hinted on throughout the play, then had an incredible plot-twist-cliffhanger. It leaves everyone wondering what the hell happened in a good way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Rai Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 [quote name='S-Jam' timestamp='1354567772' post='6084302'] Really? I thought that the ending was the best part. It sent a strong political message that was hinted on throughout the play, then had an incredible plot-twist-cliffhanger. It leaves everyone wondering what the hell happened in a good way. [/quote] I thought the ending was interesting, but not what I would have wanted really. For a book based on understanding realism and human actions in a certain way, the cliffhanger kinda felt out of place. It wasn't awful, but nothing particularly special for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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