Pygmalion (Enriched Classics Series) [Mass Market Paperback]

George Bernard Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 26, 2005 | Series: Enriched Classics Series

Enduring Literature Illuminated by Practical Scholarship

An idealistic professor transforms an unsophisticated Cockney girl into a refined young lady in this classic drama set in turn-of-the-century London.

This Enriched Classic Edition includes:

• A concise introduction that gives readers important background information

• A chronology of the author's life and work

• A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context

• An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations

• Detailed explanatory notes

• Critical analysis including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work

• Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction

• A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience

Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

Series edited by Cynthia Brantley Johnson

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (July 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416500405
• ISBN-13: 978-1416500407
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.6 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Wit and Social Commentary: A Great Play With Importance Today June 4, 2009

By A.Trendl HungarianBookstore.com VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

George Bernard Shaw uses of wit and insight into England's 1800s arrogant class system to show class is not bred, but made, and the highest class of people see no class at all, being humble enough to know we are equals. Shaw's "Pygmalion" was not written just to add to his wallet with its publication, but to influence society, much the same as Charles Dickens "Oliver Twist" and "David Copperfield" have.

As fun as the musical, "My Fair Lady" is, read Shaw's take on this old Greek myth.

From the plot of whether or not a pauper can made a princess to the subplot of love and true romance, the story is intertwined with memorable characters, delightful banter and intriguing thoughts.

Shaw's understanding of English's accents and how these separated the masses (do they still?) causes me in America to wonder if my Chicago-istic pronunciations affect how I am seen. What about African-American accents, or the New England accents? Does a Kentucky girl's accent come across as higher or lower class than her Alabama neighbors? How do I see others? Am I as affected?

Drop down a little cash, sneak this book into a larger order, and read, "Pygmalion." Review Edith Hamilton's book on mythology, discover who Shaw refers to (as in Galatea and Pygmalion, a fascinating story in its own right).

I fully recommend "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw.

Anthony Trendl
http://HungarianBookstore.com

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars So much better than I thought it would be November 29, 2010

By Melissa L. Stone

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'll admit that before reading this for a British literature course at uni, I had no clue that this was the original play to spawn My Fair Lady. And upon reading the extra information, I was surprised and a little nervous about this. What if the play wasn't as good as the film in which I had grown up with? Luckily, it didn't disappoint once I began reading. The play is lovely in terms of spunk and comedy, not to mention that the ending is, in my opinion, much more believable than what the film was changed to (really now, it's much more likely in real life that she would go on her own way). I really enjoyed that this particular book included extra information about the author and notes about the actual lines and contexts. It helped really get you into the early 20th century mindset.

If you are a professor or teacher who wants to include Pygmalion into your curriculum, I highly recommend this edition. It's informative, and your students should enjoy the short length and also the story.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Proper Way to Speak? March 29, 2012

By Anne Salazar

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

So THIS is the proper English language? George Bernard Shaw has written (all those years ago: 1913) a tale of the use and abuse of this great language in a wonderfully satirical way. He certainly had some strongly held convictions about what was the right way to speak and what was the wrong way, even though he has exaggerated his beliefs in the presentation of this play. We are all familiar with the IMproper Cockney speech of Eliza Doolittle and the challenge of 'enry 'iggins to teach her the proper way to speak, thereby making a Lady of her, and it is just as much fun to read the play as it is to see it performed on the stage. This is just one edition of Pygmalion available and it has Notes, Chronology, a Preface, etc. to flesh out the story.