The Theatre of the Absurd
by Martin Esslin

Name: The Theatre of the Absurd
Brand: Martin Esslin
SKU: 9781400075232
Rating: 4.21 (934 reviews)

The Theatre of the Absurd Book Cover — The Theatre of the Absurd Cover

What readers are saying

Readers appreciate the depth and insights provided in the exploration of Absurdist theatre, often highlighting its historical significance and accessibility. Many view it as an essential resource for understanding the genre, despite some noting that it may feel a bit dry or outdated at times. Overall, the book garners strong praise for its informative content and clarity.

Insightful exploration of Absurdist theatreEssential resource for enthusiastsGreat historical backgroundEngaging and informative writingSome sections feel dry or repetitive

Synopsis

In 1953, Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" premiered at a tiny avant-garde theatre in Paris; within five years, it had been translated into more than twenty languages and seen by more than a million spectators.

Its startling popularity marked the emergence of a new type of theatre whose proponents--Beckett, Ionesco, Genet, Pinter, and others--shattered dramatic conventions and paid scant attention to psychological realism, while highlighting their characters' inability to understand one another.

In 1961, Martin Esslin gave a name to the phenomenon in his groundbreaking study of these playwrights who dramatized the absurdity at the core of the human condition.

Over four decades after its initial publication, Esslin's landmark book has lost none of its freshness.

The questions these dramatists raise about the struggle for meaning in a purposeless world are still as incisive and necessary today as they were when Beckett's tramps first waited beneath a dying tree on a lonely country road for a mysterious benefactor who would never show.

Authoritative, engaging, and eminently readable, The Theatre of the Absurd is nothing short of a classic: vital reading for anyone with an interest in the theatre.