Master Harold and the Boys (Vintage International) [Paperback]

Athol Fugard (Author)

Book Description

Series: Vintage International | Publication Date: October 13, 2009

This play about a young white boy and two African servants is at once a compelling drama of South African apartheid and a universal coming-of-age story.  Originally produced in 1982, it is now an acknowledged classic of the stage, whose themes of injustice, racism, friendship, and reconciliation traverse borders and time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of Fugard's most universal works of theatre.  It operates on two levels:  as the story of a loving but lacerating relationship between a black man and a white boy; and . . . as a powerful political statement about apartheid."  —Mel Gussow, New Yorker


"The greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world." —Time


"In 'Master Harold' . . . and the boys the author has journeyed so deep into the psychosis of racism that all national boundaries quickly fall away, that no one is left unimplicated by his vision. . . . Mr. Fugard has forced us to face point-blank, our capacity for hate . . . but we're also left with the exultant hope that we may yet practice compassion without stumbling. . . .  The choice, of course, is ours.  Mr. Fugard's wrenching play, which insists that we make it, is beyond beauty."—Frank Rich, The New York Times
 
"An exhilarating play . . . a triumph of playmaking, and unforgettable!" —New York Post
 

About the Author

Athol Fugard was born in South Africa in 1932 and is an internationally acclaimed playwright. His best-known plays include Bloodknot (1961); Boesman and Lena (1969); Sizwe Bansi Is Dead (1972); The Island (1973), and My Children! My Africa! (1989).  

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1 edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307475204
• ISBN-13: 978-0307475206
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Intense Examination of Institutionalized Racism, July 15, 2010

By 

R. Silva "Rick Silva" (Cape Cod MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Master Harold and the Boys (Vintage International) (Paperback)

This one-act play is set in 1950 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 1950. The three characters are Harold, the white son of the café's owner, and Sam and Willie, two black employees who are cleaning up after the day's lunch business when the play begins.

What follows is a conversation that slowly builds into an intense look at institutionalized racism and the dynamics of a broken family. Along the way, the audience learns the history of Harold's childhood, his relationships with his parents and with Sam and Willie, and gets some poignant glimpses of the culture they all live in.

"Master Harold "... And The Boys packs a lot of punch into its dialogue, especially as it reaches its climax. There are some wonderful little details as well, as the conversation touches on music and dancing, comic books and kites, and the question of who were the truly influential figures in history.

The climax brings the issue of race to the forefront and delves into Harold's conflicted emotions about the failings of his father and Sam's role as a father figure in his life.