Customer Reviews

Plays of Confession and Therapy: To Damascus 1, to Damascus 2, and to Damascus 3 : August Strindberg

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This trilogy should be recognized as a vital moment in the history of theatre, rather than a case of dramatic autobiography by an eccentric author. It is hard to know where to start this review, because so many subjects are covered and contradicted in these works. As readers we are led to regard it as a personal struggle, from the point of view of the Stranger (or the Unknown). We cannot even be sure if the seperate characters are all manifestations of one central character or not. The Stranger seems to be constantly buffeted and abused by fate.

One reservation I would have is with the translation, which seems laboured at times. I would love to be able to read it in the original and see if this is a fault of tanslation or Strindberg himself. Still, the raw energy and downright 'oddness' of this epic more than makes up for any reservations.