Attorneys of Tennessee

A Streetcar Named Desire

Description

The Pulitzer Prize and Drama Critics Circle Award winning play—reissued with an introduction by Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman and The Crucible), and Williams' essay "The World I Live In."

It is a very short list of 20th-century American plays that continue to have the same power and impact as when they first appeared—57 years after its Broadway premiere, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire is one of those plays. The story famously recounts how the faded and promiscuous Blanche DuBois is pushed over the edge by her sexy and brutal brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski. Streetcar launched the careers of Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden, and solidified the position of Tennessee Williams as one of the most important young playwrights of his generation, as well as that of Elia Kazan as the greatest American stage director of the '40s and '50s.

Who better than America's elder statesman of the theater, Williams' contemporary Arthur Miller, to write as a witness to the lightning that struck American culture in the form of A Streetcar Named Desire? Miller's rich perspective on Williams' singular style of poetic dialogue, sensitive characters, and dramatic violence makes this a unique and valuable new edition of A Streetcar Named Desire. This definitive new edition will also include Williams' essay "The World I Live In," and a brief chronology of the author's life.

Reviews

Rating: 2 / 5
Date: 2010-08-13
Summary: "Abusive man alert"

I'm not generally impressed with plays and movies of this era, as they portray a time when it was considered acceptable for men to treat women as property. Women endured physical as well as emotional and psychological violence, without a inkling that something may be wrong about that. When Blanche encourages Stella to leave Stanley after he hits her after the poker game, I agreed very firmly with her. I was amazed that Stella returns, and that she still stays with him after what he does to Blanche near the end of the play. Blanche is written as flighty and slutty and her final fate is galling because I believe she's the only character in the play with a lick of sense. I found myself reading this quite quickly because I just wanted it over with. The whole thing repulsed me.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-07-28
Summary: "One of the best 20th century plays"

"A Streetcar Named Desire" is one of Tennessee Williams' signature plays that has propelled his reputation and made him into a household name. The play deals with a culture clash between two iconic characters, Blanche DuBois, a fading relic of the Old South, and Stanley Kowalski, a rising member of the industrial, urban working class. Their gender and ethnic differences also feature prominently, and are a source of lot of tension throughout the play. Setting the play in New Orleans adds to the colorfulness of characters and situations, and the title of the play is a reference to a particular tram line in that city. All of the characters in this play are very developed, and their oversized passions and outbursts are extremely entertaining to follow. The play has a quality of a train wreck, and we are simultaneously attracted to the scenes and appalled by their over-the-top shenanigans. The play appears as fresh as when it was originally written over sixty years ago, and reading or watching it is a pleasure.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-04-10
Summary: "Book Review: A Streetcar Named Desire"

"A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams is one of the most poignant and psychologically warped plays in creation, tackling harsh realities of life we like to tuck into the back of our minds and neglect--these kinds of themes include delusion, shattered dreams, aging and the seemingly impossible search for both love and self-acceptance in a world built upon brute facts.

Set in 1947, the play commences just as Blanche DuBois, an English high school teacher from Mississippi, arrives at her sister Stella's apartment in New Orleans. Blanche confesses that she lost their ancestral home Belle Reve and must live with Stella for quite some time. This single act launches several plots instantaneously. We learn about the major characters throughout the play simply by how they react to the mental deterioration of Blanche and her struggle to find happiness. Her endeavor is ultimately destroyed by Stella's brutish and shrewd husband Stanley, whose already exasperated disposition is worsened as he lives with Blanche.

Even though the intensity, action and violent scenes render this play so popular,
"A Streetcar Named Desire" ought to be read--and reread for that matter--so that people become aware of metaphors and themes they don't register while watching the play. This isn't to be done solely for learning's sake, though; these components solidify the play and leave readers with a greater appreciation for Williams's masterpiece.

Whether you enjoy riveting plot or walking away from a book or play with a fresh, new perception of life or with a wisp of knowledge, you're bound to love "A Streetcar Named Desire."

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-03-15
Summary: "odered the book"

These folks did a great job. I ordered it, they confirmed it and I had it within a week. The book is in excellent condition. No issues!

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2009-12-17
Summary: "Scott Barnett"

In the nihilistic social commentary entitled A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, the author constructs a tale of old and new south, wealthy and impoverished peoples, and brutality and gentility. Williams conveys Stella Dubois as a model of southern elegance. She graces everyone she meets and brings a sense of nostalgic southern values to her Louisiana friends and acquaintances. Blanche, a fallen southern bell, as well as Stella's wealthy sister, comes to live with Stella and her husband. She isn't accustomed to the blue collar life that Stella's husband, Stanley Kowalski is providing. She points out many `flaws" in their economic situation which displays the socioeconomic differences in our society. Williams brilliantly crafted Stanley Kowalski as the blue collared, coarse, and barbaric "man's man" He displays no remorse for any of his insensitive words or actions. This starkly contrasts with Stella who is vary affable and sensitive towards everyone. Throughout this novel, Williams displays these themes successfully through the characters and situations they confront.