Death etc. [Paperback]

Harold Pinter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2005

Throughout his life, playwright and political activist Harold Pinter has consistently cast light on the hypocrisy of conformist truths in pure and simple terms. Awarded the Wilfred Owen Prize in 2004 for his poetry condemning U.S. military intervention in Iraq, Mr. Pinter has succeeded as no other of his generation in combining his artistry with his political activism. Death etc. brings together Pinter’s most poignant and especially relevant writings in this time of war. From chilling psychological portraits of those who commit atrocities in the name of a higher power, to essays on the state-sponsored terrorism of present-day regimes, to solemn hymns commemorating the faceless masses that perish unrecognized, Mr. Pinter’s writings are as essential to the preservation of open debate as to our awareness of personal involvement in the fate of our global community.

Product Details

• Paperback: 125 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press (September 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802142257
• ISBN-13: 978-0802142252
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,222,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A literary catharsis, December 8, 2005

By 

Dr. Lee D. Carlson (Baltimore, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death etc. (Paperback)

That social change takes an exceedingly long time can perhaps be taken as an axiom, and an enormous amount of human energy is needed to bring about this change. When goals seem elusive, when discouragement sets in, and when it seems that one has no influence over current events, literature can offer temporary consolation. Strings of words formed into sentences, grammatically perfect or not, can act as a literary catharsis: they activate the proper neurons in the brain, instigating momentary comfort.

This small collection of works definitely qualifies for this purpose, and of course much more. One can of course read the poetry, the plays, and the various snippets for their own narrative beauty. It would be difficult though to distance oneself from their content. They are not politically or morally neutral. The author lashes out. But considering current world events, his vituperative excesses seem benign by comparison.

Here's some of the arithmetic in the book:

The equation of the United States government, full spectrum control = control of air + land + sea + space, must be corrected: Full-spectrum dominance = control of air + land + sea + space + control of the world's resources.

United States invasion of Iraq = totally unjustified + illegal + illegitimate + criminal act + act of state terrorism.

The Bush/Blair equation: freedom + democracy + liberation = death + destruction + chaos.

Bush + Blair = bandits + war criminals.

Democracy + The Old Days + The "Special Relationship" + The Bombs + Weather Forecast + After Lunch + Meeting + Death = short + painful to read + accurate reflection of a yellow regime.

These equations are all correct.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courageous, well-written, with some exception, December 14, 2007

By 

Thomas Hofer (Morgan City, LA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death etc. (Paperback)

In DEATH, ETC., Harold Pinter takes a strong stand against the war in Iraq, President George W. Bush, and Prime Minister Tony Blair. His anti-war stance in Great Britain compares well to that of the late Susan Sontag in the United States. He is courageous in criticizing both George W. Bush and Tony Blair, and amply demonstrates that in order to be a good citizen, you do not have to believe that your leaders are always right, and that it is patriotic to criticize them when they are wrong. Unfortunately, from time to time, he uses profane language, which does damage to the book on the overall.