Customer Reviews

Something Cloudy, Something Clear (New Directions Paperbook)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After my first reading of 'Something Cloudy, Something clear," I was confused and frustrated with myself. The play did little for me and I knew this had to be the result of my inattentive reading, because no Tennessee Williams play has ever failed to effect me in some way. Upon a second reading, I was immediately struck by the play's powerful nostalgia, almost frighteningly true insights and Wiliams's mastery of universal language. This is when I knew I was reading a play by the great Tennessee Williams. Much like Chekov, the play has little to do with plot. Victims of Hollywood's endless catalog of films void of subtlety, which spare audiences any thought by saying everything for them, are unlikely to enjoy this play. "Something Cloudy, Something Clear" is an opportunity to take a tour through a great playwright's life and read his welocme observations which unexpectedly leap out of the dialogue. But "Something Cloudy, Soemthing Clear" is not exclusively autobiographical, it speaks for us all. We all have moments in which we recall certain portions of our lives with surprising clarity. "[Life] finally seems to occur all at one time," as the play's main character, August, tells us. Looking back on those times, we are often better able to understand ourselves and the human experience, As Wiliams appears to have accomplished in writing this play. Written at the end of his life, "Something Cloudy, Something Clear" is a fitting epitaph to one man's relentless attempt to understand the human experience, and with plays such as this, Williams was kind enough to let us peak in at his thoughts along the way. Thank you, Tennessee.

actually, i think this is one of williams' most daring plays, as it is so autobiographical, in every detail. the main character is no doubt williams himself, every (but one) person appearing in the play have been in close contact to him in the 40s. I think it is high time to have this play performed again, as it had not seen the spotlight since 1981 (as far as i'm informed).

I have read this play several times and will continue reading it several more times. I think if you read this play once then you miss all the detail and interesting effects that Tennessee Williams was going for. I know its not a perfect piece compared to some of his other plays but Tennessee williams was onto something with this play. I don't think he was able to get the play were it needed to be because so many people critizided it from the begining. The wanted Tennessee Williams to write similar plays that made him famous. I think it is important for a play write to be inovative, daring and to just go out on a limb with their writing. And this is what Williams did. I really think that Williams was trying to do things in this play that was a head of its time and unfortanetly critizized and pushed aside. Anyone who is a true fan of Tennessee Williams should read this play, and read it more than once and notice all the little things that the play consit of that make it more than a failure.

I typically love the works of Tennessee Williams, but I absolutely hated this play. It was written at the end of William's life and career as a playwright and it's a shame he had to leave the world on what was such a low note, in my opinion. I kid you not when I tell you that this play is about absolutley nothing! Ok--so a woman named Claire brings her "brother", Kip, with her to the beach and they meet up with August, a gay playwright--just like Williams--who is struggling to have one of his plays produced on Broadway. These three characters engage in meaningless dialogue for the remainder of the play while they're haunted by ghosts of the main character's past. It's the worst play I've ever read--but I reccomend you read it. It's one of those things that's so bad it's good, which is what kept me from giving it a 1.