Misalliance [Paperback]

George Bernard Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 13, 2002

This collection chronicles the fiction and non fiction classics by the greatest writers the world has ever known. The inclusion of both popular as well as overlooked pieces is pivotal to providing a broad and representative collection of classic works.

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About the Author

Born in Dublin, the Irish dramatist, literary critic, a socialist spokesman, and a leading figure in the 20th century theatre, George Bernard Shaw began his literary career as a novelist; as a fervent advocate of the new theatre of Ibsen, he decided to write plays in order to illustrate his criticism of the English stage. His important plays include: Mrs. Warren s Profession, Saint Joan, Caesar and Cleopatra, The Doctor s Dilemma, Candida and Pygmalion. Shaw s complete works appeared in thirty-six volumes between 1930 and 1950, the year of his death. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: IndyPublish (June 13, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1404319239
• ISBN-13: 978-1404319233
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,644,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Book of Social Change, December 4, 2003

By 

Jeff Curtis (Webster, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misalliance (Paperback)

Misalliance, written by George Bernard Shaw, is a fascinating view of the relationship between parents and their children. The first half of the play is a tad dry or as Hypatia (the young daughter who seeks adventure) would put it; the play is filled with "talk, talk, talk". However with the help of an aeroplane things quickly change.

The introduction of a Polish acrobat (Lina) who is nothing like the other two women in the play, results in a strange but intriguing plot twist. The actions that ensue upon the arrival of Lina add action and liveliness to the play. From there the play takes off with crazy tales of love and lust and there is truly no way of telling how this will all end.

However great for readers, for what Shaw seems to lack in plot for the first half of the play, he makes up with interesting characters and with ideas that are important to address. He addresses not only the relationship between parent and child but he also shows how women are changing as they look to move to liberate themselves from the control of men. This play shows the evolution of woman in society. Lina is seen as the woman of the future, Mrs. Tarleton is of the past and Hypatia, a woman in between the two, wants to change herself from the times of her mother to follow the footsteps of Lina.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Misalliance Review, December 3, 2003

By 

Matthew Maar (Fayetteville, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misalliance (Paperback)

Misalliance is a play focused on the values and interactions among family. The play is based on the story and drama of two upper class families the Summerhays and Tarleton's. Throughout the play they discuss issues that are relevant to the time and heated topics that are not often discussed by families. The women such as Hypatia bring about issues of control and how they should lead their own lives while not letting a husband control their lives. The issue of older men cheating and chasing around younger women is another underlying topic throughout the play. Elderly married men from the play chase women around, while the women of the play try to go out on their own and establish their own being.

I enjoyed this play and found it to be interesting because a heated discussion is carried throughout the play. The drama and conflicts of the characters and issues in the play carry the discussion right up until the end. This discussion evolves and changes as each character is introduced with their own beliefs. One thing I did not like about the play though was that the discussion was very lengthy and at times was not filled with anything exciting. Overall I would recommend this play to anyone who is looking for a discussion of family values and beliefs in one easy sitting. The humorous and social discussion that evolves throughout the play carries the book along and makes it an interesting story.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Misalliance, December 10, 2003

By 

Meghan Tomberlin (Brockport, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misalliance (Paperback)

Title: Misalliance
Author: George Bernard Shaw

Brief Summary:
Misalliance is a Shaw drama set in 1909 in the house of John Tarleton, of Hindhead, Surrey. The play is centered around a middle to upper class family and their close friends: Johnny Tarleton, the son; Bentley Summerhays, the economically blessed, however socially undeveloped friend of the family; Mr. Tarleton, owner of underwear company; Ms Tarleton; Hypatia, rebellious daughter of Tarletons; and Lord Summerhays, father of Bentley. This so called "average" family goes through a turn of events to turn it upside down and inside out revealing the secrets to each person's true character. They have unexpected guests that literally "drop" in for a visit; Mr. Tarleton meets fate with the end of a loaded gun, and love triangles and infidelity are everywhere. Deceit and power, parents versus the younger generation, and the male female power struggle are the main themes that run throughout the book. The unexpected is the only thing that stays predictable through the play. Shaw does a very effective job of satirizing society's values, secrets, and powers with money. He uses the stereotypes of individuals to over dramatize the characteristics within this very dynamic group of people.
The biggest obstacle in this book is getting past the introduction. Shaw uses more than the first half of his published work to set up and express his own feelings towards society's rituals and traditions. He digresses about his every thought; he holds nothing back. He touches on all the ideas that he will be satirizes in the play. After awhile, the repetitive criticism becomes monotonous, no matter how true his ideas may be.
Overall I believe Shaw effectively gets his point across in an entertaining manner. I would rate the play as a highly effective satire of the privileged society's false superiority.