Customer Reviews

The Good Woman of Setzuan

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

"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!

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.

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.

Well written, talented authors! I really liked it!

This play was read for a Woman in Drama course I took last Fall in order to introduce the class to Brechtian drama. I wish I could say I enjoy this; however, I find Brecht to be too in your face with his socio-political ideals. If you are a bigger fan of the forth wall convention in drama, then this is not a play for you. He presents some interesting ideas but I never like characters speaking to the audience in a drama - BLECH!