Molly Sweeney
by Brian Friel

Name: Molly Sweeney
Brand: Brian Friel
SKU: 9780822215325
Rating: 3.85 (283 reviews)

Molly Sweeney Book Cover — Molly Sweeney Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

120 minsUnit Set/Multiple Settings

What readers are saying

Readers appreciate the depth and complexity of this play, which explores themes of vision and perception through the monologues of three characters. Many find the storytelling captivating, as it delves into the emotional and psychological ramifications of regaining sight for a blind woman named Molly. Despite some criticisms of the monologue style, the overall impact and thought-provoking nature of the narrative resonate well with audiences.

Captivating storytellingDeep emotional themesThought-provoking exploration of sightMonologue style may be off-putting

Synopsis

Three points of view about a poignant drama are related by three characters addressing the audience directly.

First there is Molly, blind since early infancy, who describes her world before and after an operation to restore some of her sight.

Her husband, Frank, who pushed Molly into this operation, relates his view of his wife's journey into sightedness and his dealings with her doctor.

Molly's once-famous eye surgeon, Mr. Rice, watches both Molly and Frank and reveals his opinion of them along with his own fears in handling the operation.

Through it all we see each character's painful and happy histories, their memories and the events that led them to meet.

Their stories interweave on stage, threading in and around each other's lives, until the unexpected and touching conclusion to this striking tale.

Press Reviews

"Brian Friel has been recognized as Ireland's greatest living playwright… his latest work, MOLLY SWEENEY... confirms that Mr. Friel still writes like a dream.“ — The New York Times ”Brian Friel's beautiful and dazzling MOLLY SWEENEY… is one of those marvelous onion plays… As you peel away each plump and juicy layer, another layer emerges underneath, and yet another… What a marvelous play this is! See it—wander in it and wonder at it.“ — New York Post ”Dispassionate eloquence and psychological honesty… Brian Friel's writing has such vitality and warmth, such kindly accuracy of observation."
— The Times (London)