The Good Woman of Setzuan [Paperback]

Bertolt Brecht (Author), Eric Bentley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0816635277 | ISBN-13: 978-0816635276 | Publication Date: November 1, 1999 | Edition: 1

This play, written during Brecht's exile to the United States and set in pre-Communist China, is a parable of a young woman torn between obligation and reality, between love and practicality, and between her own needs and those of her friends and neighbours.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

About the Author

Bertold Brecht (1898-1956) is one of Germany's best-known playwrights. His social critiques, including The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Mother Courage and Her Children and The Threepenny Opera, resonate with modern audiences and continue to be frequently performed. Eric Bentley, one of the foremost authorities on the modern theatre, is a recognized playwright, critic and scholar, and a longtime intimate of Brecht. His most recent book is Bentley on Brecht. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press; 1 edition (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816635277
• ISBN-13: 978-0816635276
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,326 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Recommendable!, November 18, 2001

By 

Florian Soens (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Good Woman of Setzuan (Paperback)

"The Good Woman of Sezuan" is my favourite play of Brecht's and I really recommend it to anyone who is interested in german literature and plays. It's also a good one to start if this is your first contact with Bertolt Brecht!

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't know-can't get what I ordered., January 23, 2011

By 

Reader99 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Good Woman of Setzuan (Paperback)

Ordered "The Good Woman of Setzuan by Brecht" but recieved "The Good Woman by Danielle Steele". Not only can't Amazon supply the correct book but they also keep sending me these endless junk commentary forms to tell others how happy I am. I am not.

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Brecht's Chinese hooker with a heart of gold, July 27, 2009

By 

T. Burrows (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Good Woman of Setzuan (Paperback)

Brecht used to a very big name, one of the biggest in world theater. His writing makes for lively and entertaining theater, but I am afraid I must put myself in the category of not really knowing what the fuss is about. This play was entertaining, and I could see its roots in classic theatrical themes and approaches, but it did not strike me as being a great piece of writing. Certainly in today's politico-artistic environment it would be hard to see an inauthentic work like this being hailed and loved. Brecht's Chinese heroine Shen Te is a hooker with a heart of gold, a kind but foolish young woman who manages to get along by charming everyone. She eventually falls for a loutish young aviator, and their tribulations become the basis for the second half of the plot. The plot has some nice twists and moves along at a very brisk clip. Numerous characters appear and get their due - a couple of unidentifiable gods, a poor water seller, an older shop owner, some freeloaders, etc. There are all sorts of manipulations going on, everyone keeps trying to get an edge on each other. Money changes hands quickly and this becomes the engine of the narrative - Shen Te gets some, opens a shop, does well, then gives it away to the unworthy flyer. Her sweet, happy-go-lucky character is balanced by the presence of her supposed cousin, Shui Ta, a shrewd and tough negotiator who appears at key moments to bail out his relative. How one would effectively pull this off on stage is a bit of a mystery to me, and for that reason alone I would like to see a production of it. Overall, an entertaining play with a humanistic heart, but not a work of genius.