Plays: Man and Superman; Candida; Arms and the Man; Mrs Warren's Profession (Signet Classics) [Paperback]

George Bernard Shaw (Author), Eric Bentley (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1960

In Mrs. Warren's Profession, Arms and the Man, Candida, and Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaw satirizes society, military heroism, marriage, and the pursuit of man by woman. From a social, literary, and theatrical standpoint, these four plays are among the foremost dramas of the age-as intellectually stimulating as they are humorous.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 447 pages
• Publisher: Signet Classics; 5th printing edition (August 1, 1960)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451524349
• ISBN-13: 978-0451524348
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,495,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Shaw Overview, May 22, 2000

By 

Maggie Tulliver - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plays: Man and Superman; Candida; Arms and the Man; Mrs Warren's Profession (Signet Classics) (Paperback)

This would be an excellent collection to have for anyone looking for a taste of Shaw's basic philosophies about socialism--and of course, a good way of finding out how his writing suits you.

Some thought provoking social statements are made in all four plays, though some of the prefaces might be more informative about the author than the plays themselves. Great witticisms and depsite the sometimes heavy philosophy, the reading is light and quick. The last play, Man And Superman, perhaps his most significant play in terms of philosophy, pure and simple, would be fun reading but the socialist's handbook given at the end would definitely not be everyone's cup of tea, unless they're philosophy students. This can be skipped without spoiling the play though, which contains some of the most excellent dialogue I've come across in a play with philosophical overtones.

All Oscar Wilde and Chesterton lovers would appreciate the epigrams and the witty one-liners. If for nothing else, Shaw is worth reading for his lovely style of execution, the flowing conversations and some uncanny insight.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of GBS, March 1, 2001

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Plays: Man and Superman; Candida; Arms and the Man; Mrs Warren's Profession (Signet Classics) (Paperback)

This should be required reading just for the "Don Juan in Hell" act of Man and Superman --an excerpt "Your friends are all the dullest dogs I know. They are not beautiful: they are only decorated. They are not clean: they are only shaved and starched. They are not dignified: they are only fashionably dressed. They are not educated: they are only college passmen. They are not religious: they are only pewrenters. They are not moral: they are only conventional. They are not virtuous: they are only cowardly...."

One of my science teachers recited this famous speech in the lab one day, just to show off, and I started appreciating Shaw. Funny thing is that of all the playwrights, GBS is the best just to read. Except for Pygmalion and maybe Arms and the Man, most of Shaw's plays are too "talky" to stage well, but read like short stories. If you haven't read them, you are in for a treat.

5.0 out of 5 stars Plays by George Bernard Shaw, April 10, 2010

By 

Isabelle Jolly (El Segundo, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Plays by George Bernard Shaw (Paperback)

I bought this book because I wanted to read 'Mrs. Warren's Profession'. I've an actress in the family and she is playing the part of Vivie, Mrs. Warren's daughter.

I was unfamiliar with the play, and was interested in reading it. I found it amazing that for the era in which it was written, it proselytized that a woman could be happier in a career she liked than being married!

The play is well worth reading, giving an insight into how people lived and behaved at that time.

There are four plays in the book: Arms and the Man, Candida, Man and Superman, and Mrs Warren's Profession. The plays are different, all are interesting.

I recommend it. It's a paperback and easy to carry around.