Customer Reviews

Capek: Four Plays

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Be prepared to enter another world. The Capek's (for many of the plays are actually written by Karel and his brother - and expressionist artist - Joseph) speak to us today loud and clear from a realm linked to ours but slightly askew. Their perceptions are insightful and their vision resonates still. Whether exploring the inhumanity of man or the humanity of the machine, the futility of labour or the glory of the prolitariate, Capek demands consideration.

The translation of the four plays contained in this volume are engaging in their use of the contemporary idiom, though show a little excess due to hindsight ( especially in R.U.R. ). It is however good to have a new version of these pieces, Selvers translation ( which is available in other editions )being used since 1921, though good, has not the clarity necessary for the current century.

Thanks must go to the publishers for bringing these plays back into the public domain. I for one hope to see further volumes so a new audience can truely grasp the bredth and depth of both Karel and Joseph Capek's creative vision.

While these plays by Karel Capek were written decades ago, they are still timely and are still being produced to this day. I was fortunate enough to have seen "Vec Makropulos" live in Prague Theater and it was widely enjoyed by the audience. Many of Capek's works question our existence and even though he uses insects as characters, they are not science fiction in the usual way of aliens come to earth, but more as a way of questioning why we are here and what is to become of the human race. Capek coined the word "robot" to serve as machines that morph into beings that begin to take over their human creators.