Complete Plays [Hardcover]

Ronald Firbank (Author), Steven Moore (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1994

Complementing Dalkey Archive's edition of Firbank's Complete Short Stories (published in 1990), Complete Plays makes available for the first time in one volume this inimitable British writer's three excursions into drama: The Mauve Tower (1904), a "dream play" reminiscent in language and setting of Oscar Wilde's Salome and the writings of the French symbolists; A Disciple from the Country (1907), a one-act comedy about a debutante who flirts with religion and sainthood in order to catch a husband; and The Princess Zoubaroff (1920), a three-act comedy about marriage, religion, and homosexual separatism. The latter, which has been produced in England occasionally since the 1950s, is considered to be among Firbank's major works, and yet it, like the other two plays, has not been generally available in this country until now. The plays are filled with the wit and satire for which Firbank's novels are relished; indeed, Firbank's novels relied so heavily on dialogue that the distinction between them and his plays is minimal. Consequently, those who enjoy his novels and stories - as well as those who enjoy the comic British theater tradition of Pinero, Wilde, and Coward - should welcome this collection. Steven Moore, who edited the Complete Short Stories, has written an introduction placing the plays in the context of Firbank's life.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Firbank (1886-1926) is associated with the so-called decadents of turn-of-the century British literature and was strongly influenced by Oscar Wilde. His novels and short stories have become newly appreciated for their symbolism, witty satire, and liberal view of homosexuality. The three dramas in this collection include The Mauve Tower, a rather florid dream piece that recalls Wilde's Salome; A Disciple from the Country, which satirizes the shallowness of Mayfair society; and The Princess Zoubaroff, a three-act comedy about marriage, religion, and homosexual separatism that was written in 1920 but did not receive its first staging until 1951. Its openly gay and lesbian scenes and theme mark it as one of Firbank's most daring pieces. Recommended for comprehensive literature and drama collections.
Howard E. Miller, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Missouri Lib., St. Louis
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The principal English bearer of camp sensibility between Wilde and Coward, Firbank (1886-1926) is most famous for eight arch novels. He also wrote two one-act plays and The Princess Zoubaroff in three acts. The earliest, The Mauve Tower, is juvenilia, interesting only in that it seems inspired by Wilde's Salom{‚}e. The second, A Disciple from the Country, written when Firbank was 21, comically depicts fashionable people espousing religion for utterly vain reasons; in it, a debutante styles herself "the Saint" in order to snare men and also attracts an old woman who comes to be blessed. The camp characteristic of being enthusiastic about serious things for the wrong reasons--all there is thematically to Disciple--also animates Zoubaroff. But the long play has, besides trivializing religion, the object of ridiculing marriage; although not stating it in so many words, the play implies that all marriages are sexually fraudulent and the most desirable social state would be one of homosexual separatism. Disciple offers just enough glib superciliousness to be utterly amusing; Zoubaroff, though it has its moments, rather too much. Ray Olson

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 130 pages
• Publisher: Dalkey Archive Pr; 1st edition (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564780473
• ISBN-13: 978-1564780478
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,533,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.