After the Fall: A Play in Two Acts (Penguin Plays) (Paperback)

by Arthur Miller (Author) "The action takes place in the mind, thought, and memory of Quentin..." (more)
Key Phrases: second platform, Good God, Johnny Block, Murray Hill (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A lost character draws upon events in his past as he searches for life's meaning in Miller's powerful play.

About the Author
Arthur Miller's first success came in 1947 with All My Sons for which he won the New York Drama Critics Circle award. His next play, Death of a Salesman, stunned audiences with its brilliance and was quickly became a classic of the modern theatre. It also sparked heated debates over the true nature of tragedy. Arthur Miller was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1949 for Death of a Salesman. He has come to be considered one of the greatest dramatists in the history of the American Theatre, and his plays continue to be produced worldwide. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Revised edition (December 18, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140481621
• ISBN-13: 978-0140481624
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #692,710 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A painful play to write and to see, July 23, 2004

By	Keith Carlsen "widgeonkeeper" (Asheville, NC, USA) - See all my reviews

Arthur Miller, having divorced actress Marilyn Monroe and married photographer Inge Morath, and in the aftermath of Monroe's still-controversial death, wrote this as part catharsis and part explanation of the recent events in his past. Treating Monroe as it does, it inspired a groundswell of revulsion for Miller that after forty years has not fully abated.

Nonetheless, this is a fascinating work that on its own merits has some appeal.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Thankfully, It is Short, October 20, 2005

By	Samantha Kelley "Maliejandra" (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Arthur Miller's After the Fall is a highly autobiographical account told by a man named Quentin who has suffered through a difficult family life, two marriages, and the McCarthy Trials. It is depicted artistically by freely flowing from scene to scene with no regard to time or location, but the artistry in the continuity does not make up for the dullness of the overall story. The play reads as if this man is in a therapy session describing the painfully dull events of his life. He explains his shaky family relationships along with minor events from his childhood, his nagging first wife Louise and the attractive neighbor who made him start to think disloyally, and the struggles of co-workers faced with deciding between integrity and their careers. Although these events might seem like they could be earth-shattering, especially the McCarthy bit, Miller manages to drain them of any excitement or intrigue.

The bright spot in the play is Maggie, a highly self destructive but free spirited girl who becomes Quentin's second wife. Though when I first read the play, I had no idea of the connection, Maggie is Miller's interpretation of Marilyn Monroe. This is the sole reason that anyone who is not a fan of Miller's work would want to read this play; one gains insight into how immature and below him Miller considered Monroe to be.

If you are interested in Arthur Miller outside of his relationship with Marilyn Monroe, you might enjoy this book. If you are interested in the human mind and the way experiences shape a person, you have a slight chance of enjoying this book. If you are looking for a story with a rising action, a climax, and a fall, you probably will hate this play.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing, biographical account., May 15, 2002

By	"zmart4ever" (san marcos, ca United States) - See all my reviews

I seem to remember Arthur Miller dismissing the notion that this Book is biographical, but it certainly reads that way....
One can not help but draw comparison to marilyn monroe from
the maggie character...in a most unfavorable way.
The main character's relationship with the various characters in this book reveal Arthur Millers feelings about his own Life...it's almost like a comment on his marriage to the movie legend and an explanation what happened to her.
As a Marilyn fan i find this to be an interesting read and a glimpse into Arthur Miller's side of it all.