Major Barbara

by George Bernard Shaw

Overview

Major Barbara is thought to be one of Shaw's most controversial works. While trying to give a realistic presentation of how he saw Christianity, many accused him of blasphemy. Major Barbara Undershaft thought it hypocrisy that her church accepted charity from companies, such as a whisky distiller, and eventually decided that it would be more fulfilling to bring salvation to people who had plenty of vices, the people in need. Shaw intended to show that no matter how terrible the donor may be, the donation can produce good.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633841246
Publisher:	Wilder Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	06/10/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	124
File size:	131 KB

About the Author

In the course of his long and prolific career, George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) wrote 60 plays, in addition to music and literary criticism. An avid socialist, he regarded his writing as a vehicle for promoting his political and humanitarian views.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	vii
	Preface to Major Barbara
	First Aid to Critics	9
	The Gospel of St Andrew Undershaft	15
	The Salvation Army	24
	Barbara's Return to the Colors	27
	Weaknesses of the Salvation Army	30
	Christianity and Anarchism	39
	Sane Conclusions	43
	Major Barbara	51
	Principal Works of Bernard Shaw	155

Editorial Reviews

The classic Shaw play is interpreted by this extremely talented cast of 12 performers, which mounts a rousing, unforgettable show complete with incredibly well-produced and realistic sound effects that capture everything from doors creaking open, bustling crowds on city streets and impatient horses ready to trot. Roger Rees as the elder Undershaft and Kirsten Potter as his daughter Barbara are standouts. The two play off each another very well and offer some truly memorable arguments that are the cornerstone of the story. The engaging cast sweeps listeners off to the cobblestone streets of old England. (June)

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Publishers Weekly

By the Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

“[Shaw] did his best in redressing the fateful unbalance between truth and reality, in lifting mankind to a higher rung of social maturity. He often pointed a scornful finger at human frailty, but his jests were never at the expense of humanity.” —Thomas Mann
 
“Shaw will not allow complacency; he hates second-hand opinions; he attacks fashion; he continually challenges and unsettles, questioning and provoking us even when he is making us laugh. And he is still at it. No cliché or truism of contemporary life is safe from him.” —Michael Holroyd
 
“In his works Shaw left us his mind. . . . Today we have no Shavian wizard to awaken us with clarity and paradox, and the loss to our national intelligence is immense.” —The Sunday Times
 
“He was a Tolstoy with jokes, a modern Dr. Johnson, a universal genius who on his own modest reckoning put even Shakespeare in the shade.” —The Independent
 
“His plays were superb exercises in high-level argument on every issue under the sun, from feminism and God, to war and eternity, but they were also hits—and still are.” —The Daily Mail

From the Publisher

Dakin Matthews has directed a production that has subtlety and energy. He finds thoughtful laughter in both the sharp epigrams ("The more destructive war becomes, the more fascinating we find it") and the personalities of Shaw's 1905 comedy of ideas. Again and again, a careful pause and a stressed phrase elicit an appreciative response from the live audience and make this challenging play accessible and enjoyable. Roger Rees stresses the intelligence and audacity of Andrew Undershaft, the munitions tycoon. Kirsten Potter depicts the strength and vulnerability of the title character, a saver of souls in the Salvation Army, whose view of life clashes with that of Undershaft, who is her father. An exceptional job—as good as any recording of any Shaw play. G.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2008 - AudioFile