I acquired this one from my recently late uncle's collection. It was a somewhat dry read but there were points of interest all through it. Although this book suggests in its Preface that this book is more than a survey of four important writers in the Theatre of the Absurd, it pretty much is. It gives some background on each of these writers and also gives summaries of specific instances of their work. This is the meat of this book.
The main thing about this book that I really hated was the length of some of the chapters. The first chapter is 55 pages long, the third is 66 pages long, and the fifth is 83 pages long! The author really should've broken these chapters up into more easily digestible portions. Other than that this book is not bad, but also not particularly what I was looking for concerning its subject matter. I was expecting more of a discussion on the commonalities and conventions found in works in the Theatre of the Absurd. However, there is some useful information in there for my purposes at least.
Would I recommend this book to anyone? Well, if you have a particular interest in Samuel Beckett, Arthur Adamov, Eugene Ionesco, and/or Jean Genet then yes as they are covered to some depth as is their work. Otherwise, probably not. ( )

Very readable and comprehensive introduction to Absurdism in the theatre. While few people now have probably seen more than one or two Absurdist plays, if any, this book explains why they are still of interest and relevance beyond the confines of the theatre. This is for a number of reasons:

Firstly, the influence of this movement has stretched out to nearly every modern cultural format - to literature, film, TV, music videos, computer games, memes, and whatever else you can think of. Understanding these influences gives us a better appreciation of each of these respective domains individually, as well as of modern culture as a whole.

Secondly, the thought processes required to create, and to understand absurdist plays, differ in so many conceptually interesting ways from normal thought - sometimes subtle, sometimes stark. Hence coming to grips with these is in itself intellectually rewarding and creatively stimulating.

Thirdly, the theatre of the absurd is a rich source of unique,sometimes challenging, visual metaphors. Metaphors are key to understanding the theatre of the absurd, as they are with our understanding of poetry, of scientific concepts, as well as in more specific areas such as the psychology of dreams (which has a very strong link to absurdist theatre). Metaphors being flexible, the theatre of the absurd has relevance across these domains too.

Finally – this book opens up a whole range of interesting characters (the playwrights), their personal histories, their psychology and neuroses, and their works as a source of potential future reading and study.

This book is also quite clear to clarify the differences between Surrealism, and Absurdism, so we are left in no confusion as to what demarcates each. Though a few individuals transitioned from the earlier movement, Surrealism, to the more recent movement Absurdism, this marked a change in their style and creative philosophy.

Definitely a book to read if you have even a passing interest in theatre, and highly recommended for anyone else with an interest in 20th Century culture and beyond. ( )

Ritrovo questo libro che l'algoritmo del sistema mi segnala per affinità di letture. Devo averlo da qualche parte ma non l'ho incontrato da parecchio tempo. Ricordo di averlo studiato molti anni fa quando a Londra, in una Summer School, ebbi modo di seguire un corso sul teatro dell'assurdo. Fu in quella occasione che conobbi Tom Stoppard e Harold Pinter, non proprio di persona, intendo, ma in maniera letteraria. Un libro molto interessante e utile. In quegli anni la parola "assurdo" era molto di moda. Continua ad esserlo ancora oggi anche se mi pare di poter dire che l'assurdita' sia diventata ormai una "normalità... ( )

A history of absurdist theatre, with thorough profiles of some of the leading artists of absurdism, such as Beckett, Ionesco, and Genet. The author traces absurdism back throughout the history of theatre, tying in threads even from the Greek and Roman comedic dramatists. He finds traces of aburdist theatre in Shakespeare, and traces the influence of Shakespeare on some of the more modern writers, after modern Theatre of the Absurd rose post WWII. A good work overall, but begins to get a bit draggy before it is over. Recommended for any serious student of theatre, or for anyone interested in knowing the origins and (non-)meaning behind some of their favorite absurdist works. ( )

a must read for the theatre teacher.: Esslin outlines important facts about this complicated and confusing theatrical movement. He helps provide a basic understanding for anyone who would like to know about Beckett, Ionesco, Adamov, Genet, and Pinter. Absurdism is probably the least understood of all modern theatrical movements of the twentieth century, but Esslin makes it accessible. If you study, teach, design,or perform in the theatre you need to read this book, it is the authoritative text on absurdist theatre.