Affirming the Absurd in Harold Pinter (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781137345349)

While the Absurd is frequently used to analyze Harold Pinter's work, some aspects have been long overlooked in Pinter criticism - contemplation and affirmation. Many scholars note the menacing, dark, and sinister qualities of Pinter's works, however there is a lack of alternative interpretations and very little attention has been paid to the affirmative aspects of his plays. This work remedies the lack by examining these aspects, in particular the characters' focus on overcoming trying circumstances, their persistence in the pursuit of freedom, and their stoic but courageous attitudes toward a fate they cannot avoid. Using Martin Esslin's "invention" - the Theatre of the Absurd - to examine Pinter's works, Jane Wong Yeang Chui brings the complexities and intricacies of the plays to the forefront, provoking readers and audiences to reconsider and problematize more conventional studies of his plays.

Author: Kenneth A. Loparo
ISBN-10: 1137345349
ISBN-13: 9781137345349
Publisher: Palgrave Pivot
Language: English
Published: 05/21/2013
Pages: 103
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.70w x 0.70d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 03/01/2014