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A review by ejreadswords
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Sorrow makes for sincerity, I think.”
“It sure brings it out in people.”
“The little there is belongs to people who have experienced some sorrow.”
Revisited this play yesterday at the Drama Book Shop because I was going to watch Kowalski, a new play about the tango between Marlon Brando and Tennessee Williams ahead of the production of A Streetcar Named Desire — in which Brando is supposed to meet Williams to audition for Stanley Kowalski. And since I’m writing this Goodreads review after, I can say with full confidence that I loved Kowalski!
“I was—sort of—thrilled by it.”
And I’ll be seeing Paul Mescal prowling about in March with the new transfer of A Streetcar Named Desire — very excited for that (and for Patsy Ferran!).
“I don’t want realism. I want magic! [Mitch laughs] Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell truth, I tell what OUGHT to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!—Don’t turn the light on!”
I’ve seen… most of the movie? But I was in high school and I barely remember it.
Holy moly. A tremendous read. The dialogue is so dang good, and the characters are all such wonderful creatures. All of them are on different parts of the spectrum of accepting their life how it is.
Is this all it was ever going to be? Two dingy rooms, separated by a curtain? Is this too common?
Desire — oh, desire. We know it’s the root of all suffering. To want is to suffer. A streetcar named suffering, wouldn't that be a title. But this is all relative, as someone like Stella can look past her meager circumstances because of the MAN that is Stanley Kowalski. He’s described as a brute, and that’s kind of what he is; he’s a man, and men are animals. We all are animals, no? And we can’t explain our animalistic impulses.
“But there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark—that sort of make everything else seem—unimportant.”
Blanche, Stella, Stanley, and Mitch are incredible, fully-realized characters. Love them all, and Tennessee Williams made them real, made them disgusting, made them beautiful. Absolute masterpiece. Several moments from this play permanently lodged in my brain.
“It sure brings it out in people.”
“The little there is belongs to people who have experienced some sorrow.”
Revisited this play yesterday at the Drama Book Shop because I was going to watch Kowalski, a new play about the tango between Marlon Brando and Tennessee Williams ahead of the production of A Streetcar Named Desire — in which Brando is supposed to meet Williams to audition for Stanley Kowalski. And since I’m writing this Goodreads review after, I can say with full confidence that I loved Kowalski!
“I was—sort of—thrilled by it.”
And I’ll be seeing Paul Mescal prowling about in March with the new transfer of A Streetcar Named Desire — very excited for that (and for Patsy Ferran!).
“I don’t want realism. I want magic! [Mitch laughs] Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell truth, I tell what OUGHT to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!—Don’t turn the light on!”
I’ve seen… most of the movie? But I was in high school and I barely remember it.
Holy moly. A tremendous read. The dialogue is so dang good, and the characters are all such wonderful creatures. All of them are on different parts of the spectrum of accepting their life how it is.
Is this all it was ever going to be? Two dingy rooms, separated by a curtain? Is this too common?
Desire — oh, desire. We know it’s the root of all suffering. To want is to suffer. A streetcar named suffering, wouldn't that be a title. But this is all relative, as someone like Stella can look past her meager circumstances because of the MAN that is Stanley Kowalski. He’s described as a brute, and that’s kind of what he is; he’s a man, and men are animals. We all are animals, no? And we can’t explain our animalistic impulses.
“But there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark—that sort of make everything else seem—unimportant.”
Blanche, Stella, Stanley, and Mitch are incredible, fully-realized characters. Love them all, and Tennessee Williams made them real, made them disgusting, made them beautiful. Absolute masterpiece. Several moments from this play permanently lodged in my brain.