Great Catherine [Paperback]

Bernard Shaw (Author), William-Alan Landes (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 088734349X | ISBN-13: 978-0887343490 | Publication Date: February 1997

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 37 pages
• Publisher: Players Pr (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 088734349X
• ISBN-13: 978-0887343490
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,686,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting farce, December 22, 2010

By 

Israel Drazin (Boca Raton, Florida) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great Catherine (Paperback)

Shaw calls this short play a "bravura" piece, meaning that it was composed for a particular actress as a vehicle for her to display her acting skills. It is actually a farce - a play that is light in tone, in which the plot depends upon situation rather than character; a ridiculous unrealistic sham; a mockery. Shaw introduces the historical Catherine as a rather silly German ruler of Russia, who dislikes everything associated with being a ruler, who likes sexual liaisons. She meets an English captain who is, as Shaw generally portrays Englishmen, a foolish undereducated snob, for Shaw (1856-1950), who was brilliant, was born an Irishman. Shaw tells us that the actress for whom he wrote the play performed excellently. We readers will find the play funny, although at times, like the Englishman, silly, but still worth reading for its humor.