Desire Under the Elms [Paperback]

Eugene O'Neill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 1995

Eugene O'Neill's tale of Ephraim Cabot, greedy and hard like the stone walls that surround his farm, the family patriarch brings home his new young bride, Abbie. His grown sons dissaprove; one leaves but the other stays to fight for the family fortune. What follows is a tragedy of epic proportions.

A L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Paul Adelstein, Orson Bean, Amy Brenneman, Dwier Brown, Maurice Chasse and Charlie Kimball.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A strong cast delivers a pared-down version of O Neill s melodrama with both warts and intensity intact. Orson Bean makes Ephraim Cabot, the old New England farmer with a new young wife, the roaring caricature he is, but a touch of an accent (Scots? Irish?) gives him more dimension. Amy Brenneman portrays his wife, Abbie s, desperation, determination, passion, and crudity, and Paul Adelstein his son, Eben s, wild emotions and limited intelligence. Adelstein and Brenneman play the tragic scene at the heart of the story at full tilt. Occasionally sound effects distract (for example, a swinging screen door). But this solid version allows the power of this American classic to come through. --AudioFile Magazine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

Born in 1888 in New York City, Eugene O’Neill is the son of stage actors James O’Neill and Ella Quinlan. After a recurrence of TB, Eugene was sent to a sanitarium to recover, and there he decided to become a playwright. His first full length play, Beyond the Horizon, was produced on Broadway and garnered him the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Desire Under the Elms was written in 1924 and was immediately lauded for its originality and emotional honesty. Legend has it that O’Neill had dreamed the play in its entirety. He has received four Pulitzer Prizes in total, and was the first American playwright to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books (August 31, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1854591363
• ISBN-13: 978-1854591364
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,497,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Desire Enjoyment, July 31, 2009

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Roxie L. Gamble "LYDIAANNE" (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

The first time I saw the movie of this title was more than a decade ago. The book and the movie are outstanding, nothing like human nature to make agreat story.