Death of a Salesman (Bloom's Guides) [Hardcover]

Harold Bloom (Editor), Henry W (Editor), Albert A. Berg (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0791075648 | ISBN-13: 978-0791075647 | Publication Date: January 2006 | Edition: annotated edition

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, part of Chelsea House Publishers' Bloom's Guides collection, presents concise critical excerpts from Death of a Salesman to provide a scholarly overview of the work. This comprehensive study guide also features "The Story Behind the Story," which details the conditions under which Death of a Salesman was written. This title also includes a short biography on Arthur Miller and a descriptive list of characters.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Arthur Miller's 1949 Death of a Salesman has sold 11 million copies, and Willy Loman didn't make all those sales on a smile and a shoeshine. This play is the genuine article--it's got the goods on the human condition, all packed into a day in the life of one self-deluded, self-promoting, self-defeating soul. It's a sturdy bridge between kitchen-sink realism and spectral abstraction, the facts of particular hard times and universal themes. As Christopher Bigsby's mildly interesting afterword in this 50th-anniversary edition points out (as does Miller in his memoir, Timebends), Willy is closely based on the playwright's sad, absurd salesman uncle, Manny. But of course Miller made Manny into Everyman, and gave him the name of the crime commissioner Lohmann in Fritz Lang's angst-ridden 1932 Nazi parable, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse.

The tragedy of Loman the all-American dreamer and loser works eternally, on the page as on the stage. A lot of plays made history around 1949, but none have stepped out of history into the classic canon as Salesman has. Great as it was, Tennessee Williams's work can't be revived as vividly as this play still is, all over the world. (This edition has edifying pictures of Lee J. Cobb's 1949 and Brian Dennehy's 1999 performances.) It connects Aristotle, The Great Gatsby, On the Waterfront, David Mamet, and the archetypal American movie antihero. It even transcends its author's tragic flaw of pious preachiness (which undoes his snoozy The Crucible, unfortunately his most-produced play).

No doubt you've seen Willy Loman's story at least once. It's still worth reading. --Tim Appelo --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This 50th-anniversary edition of Miller's masterpiece, which certainly is a contender for the finest American drama of the 20th century, includes the full text of the play, a chronology of its productions, photos from various stagings including the current Broadway revival, and a new preface by Miller himself, all in a quality hardcover for a reasonable price. Bravo, Penguin.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Chelsea House Publications; annotated edition edition (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791075648
• ISBN-13: 978-0791075647
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,368,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Better on the Stage than the Page, August 8, 2009

By 

jjd232 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death of a Salesman (Bloom's Guides) (Hardcover)

Although most readers will develop an emotional attachment to the downtrodden family, the language is just too dry and dull. In short, the scenes are boring. The characters have very little physical action, no humor, and no eccentricity. The only upside is that it's easy to understand and a quick read. But clearly better seen than read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Death of a Salesman" from Japanese eyes, November 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Death O/A Salesmn (Blm's Nts) (Oop) (Bloom's Notes) (Library Binding)

This play continues to attract international audience. In Japan, there are so many Willy Lomans under long-term recession. To my surprise, the top reason of death for Japanese men from 30's to 50's years old is committing suicide. Last year, I watched Japanese version of "Death of a Salesman" in Tokyo. Famous and talented actor as the role of Willy greatly fascinated audience. It was very rare to get a big hit here in these days.

Through watching and reading this play, I felt this play told us not to end up our lives by committing suicide, but to become stronger so as to find out another option by ourselves to survive in this severe world. This is not simply an old story. We must take Miller's important message to heart.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Willy is not a tragic character., April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Death O/A Salesmn (Blm's Nts) (Oop) (Bloom's Notes) (Library Binding)

This "classic" play that so many love for it's tragic presentation of the average man being swept up in the American dream isn't that emotionally heart wrenching as one would like to believe. The fault lies in Willy himself. Willy is too stupid to be a well loved character. I had less sympathy for his suicide than when I saw a squirrel hit by a bus. Willy brings his problems upon himself. He is not a victem of a n unfair economical system, he is just a failure. He can't be tragic. Not only does he not realize his own faults, he is a completely static character. One can feel for a character whose flaws condemn him to failure if that character is noble in spirit or purpose, or one who tries to change. Willy is neither. He's entire life has been a failure, and at his one possible moment of redemption, his single opportunity he uses to destroy himself. HTere is no tragidy, just a purposeless life. The play on the whole is much too sentimental. It doesn't prevoke deep thought, it merely leaves the reader with vague and unconnected questions.