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emma's Reviews > A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire
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Whoa.
I did not consume this play as I was intended to. I mean, honestly, you're not supposed to read a play. Tell that to any high school English teacher ever, but still. Tennessee Williams didn't write this like "Hopefully in sixty years a girl will read this alone in her room in one sitting so she can fulfill her goal of reading a classic every month." That's not his ideal.
That being said.
THIS MADE ME FEEL SO MUCH.
A play is supposed to be acted, obviously. Reading it leads to a less emotional rendering, with less full characters, in an imagined version of what is supposed to be a concrete setting. It's a lesser experience - like reading a screenplay. (Cough cough, f*ck you JK Rowling, cough.)
And still this was incredible! Blanche and Stella and Mitch were heart-rending. There's so much tension here, and the revelations and the moments of climax and action are just unreal. I don't even know what to say beyond whoa.
Guess I should've stopped this review after the first word.
Bottom line: FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC. This reading-a-classic-a-month thing is the best thing I'm doing this year.
I did not consume this play as I was intended to. I mean, honestly, you're not supposed to read a play. Tell that to any high school English teacher ever, but still. Tennessee Williams didn't write this like "Hopefully in sixty years a girl will read this alone in her room in one sitting so she can fulfill her goal of reading a classic every month." That's not his ideal.
That being said.
THIS MADE ME FEEL SO MUCH.
A play is supposed to be acted, obviously. Reading it leads to a less emotional rendering, with less full characters, in an imagined version of what is supposed to be a concrete setting. It's a lesser experience - like reading a screenplay. (Cough cough, f*ck you JK Rowling, cough.)
And still this was incredible! Blanche and Stella and Mitch were heart-rending. There's so much tension here, and the revelations and the moments of climax and action are just unreal. I don't even know what to say beyond whoa.
Guess I should've stopped this review after the first word.
Bottom line: FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC. This reading-a-classic-a-month thing is the best thing I'm doing this year.
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Reading Progress
May 3, 2018
– Shelved
May 22, 2018
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Started Reading
May 22, 2018
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Finished Reading
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Rusty
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May 22, 2018 06:00PM
Great review emma !! I didn't know that the movie was based on a play . XD
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hmmmm. i'm intrigued. what genre is this?
I loved reading this in high school!
Audrey wrote: "It’s the Realism period, right?"couldn't tell ya
Sydney wrote: "I loved reading this in high school!"i wish i was assigned it in school!!
Tucker wrote: "hmmmm. i'm intrigued. what genre is this?"it's a classic dramatic play from the mid-twentieth century
Rusty wrote: "Great review emma !! I didn't know that the movie was based on a play . XD"lol ya learn something new every day
"its a classic dramatic play" oh yeah. i've heard of it... not sure about reading a play though
Ashish wrote: "damn....its my favourite play"it's so very good
I forget what summer I went through my "theater obsession" (if I'm being honest, I'm still in it) ...but there was one summer in particular. Anyways, this was one of the plays I read, and lol, I'm pretty sure I clearly remember acting it out in my bedroom, and thank God nobody was home :P your review makes me want to re-read it for sure!
Amanda wrote: "I forget what summer I went through my "theater obsession" (if I'm being honest, I'm still in it) ...but there was one summer in particular. Anyways, this was one of the plays I read, and lol, I'm ..."i don't even slightly consider myself a theater person but i still enjoyed this massively!! love the mental image of you acting it out while reading :p totally reread it!
Watch the film asap - it’s incredible! Watch Cat on A Hot Tin Roof too but realise that it was heavily censored and that the actual play was about 70% gayer (something I didn’t realise until I saw the play in a live theatre screening staring Jack O’Connell and Sierra Miller a few weeks ago... I felt so betrayed lol).
katrina wrote: "Watch the film asap - it’s incredible! Watch Cat on A Hot Tin Roof too but realise that it was heavily censored and that the actual play was about 70% gayer (something I didn’t realise until I saw ..."katrina wrote: "*Sienna Miller lol"
loool will def watch the movie!!!
Obviously theatre should be enjoyed in the theatre, but there's something to be said about reading the author's scene descriptions and character blocking. And if your local theatre company isn't currently putting the show on- go ahead read it!! Also I 100% relate to "a girl reading this alone in her room in one sitting so she can fulfill her goal of reading a classic every month" because that is legitimately me. How would you define "classic"?
I watched the movie yesterday Classy one
There is benefit in teaching plays, actually. Students will hopefully get a lot out of this text.
Everything is great, but I believe plays are supposed to be read. I love reading them. Also suggest you to read "the glass menagerie" also written by Tennessee Williams.
If you are a visual reader like myself, then you can absolutely bring the play to life through your imagination while you read! I look at it like I’m the director of a film. I get to choose the right cast, sets, tone, movement. Most times I enjoy reading a play more than watching one.
