Published by Methuen Drama; the collected dramatic works of Bertolt Brecht are presented in the most comprehensive and authoritative editions of Brechts plays in the English language.This second volume of Brechts Collected Plays brings together some of his most glittering Berlin successes including The Threepenny Opera; The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny; The Seven Deadly Sins; Man Equals Man and The Elephant Calf. The Threepenny Opera is the story of the mercurial beggar turned entrepeneur Peachum and his battles with the criminal Mac the Knife; Mahagonny; an operatic satire on the search for an American capitalist utopia; The Seven Deadly Sins is a ballet with songs that predicts the downfall of the petty bourgeosie and was first performed as the Nazis planned their book burning exercise. Man equals Man is an exploration of the theory of equality and The Elephant Calf is a play within a play based on an Indian folk story.The translators include W H Auden and Chester Kallman; Ralph Manheim; Gerhard Nellhaus and John Willett. The translations are ideal for both study and performance. The volume is accompanied by a full introduction and notes by the series editor John Willett and includes Brechts own notes and relevant texts as well as all the important textual variants.
#2612825 in eBooks 2015-02-01 2015-02-01File Name: B00TPL2RW4
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Great read for anyone interested in horror and the gothic!By Dr. Laurence RawI really enjoyed this book. Not only can it be read from cover to cover; but it is a great dipping book. It should appeal both to academics and aficionados of the horror and gothic genres. I congratulate Tibbetts on his efforts!7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Authoritative and InterestingBy J. GephardtTibbetts doesnt just "know" his material; he is a foremost expert. He brings to this book the expertise of someone who has studied the genre in depth; for a long time. He has interviewed some of the great masters of this field; and through his book we get to share in these conversations. Its an outstanding way to gain insights wed never have gotten any other way.For anyone interested in truly knowing this genre; "The Gothic Imagination" is a must-read.By the way; I recently attended a presentation and reading by this author; and I enjoyed it thoroughly. He has a great speaking/reading voice; and presented quite an interesting excerpt from this book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Needs More than just InterviewsBy TammyJo EckhartFrom the title you know that this will be a series of "conversations" about "fantasy; horror; and science fiction" from all types of media. What you may not figure out is that these conversations are primarily interviews conducted by the author John C. Tibbetts and various media personalities; author; and scholars. A handful of these are conversations between three people but most are these interviews. In all of the interviews it is clear that Tibbetts knows the figures he is talking with but also that he has a love of the genres.The range of those interviewed is wide. We have scholars who have studied the 19th century or 20th century literature or art; both visual and music. We have authors of the three genres listed as well as screenwriters; directors; and actors. In total I counted 47 interviews. There are also three essays (chapters 7-9) included that felt a bit off since they broke the established pattern.The biggest disappointment for me was a weak definition of "gothic" since the entire book is supposed to be arguing that the genres of science fiction; horror; and fantasy all have gothic elements or are drawn from gothic traditions. The offered definition is so vague that is might encompass almost anything. Are we to believe that almost all of the current media arts are derived from gothic traditions?Without a strong definition or a consistent argument throughout the book we cannot be convinced.The book is worth having for the interviews themselves but as an academic work it is lacking.
