Arcadia: A Play by Tom Stoppard Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Arcadia: A Play
Book Review: "Arcadia" is a gimmick
Summary: 2 Stars
"Arcadia" is a play that bounces back and forth between the early 19th century and the late 20th. A great deal of thought and care obviously went into the logistics of repeated time transformations. I fear, however, that the technical aspects of this endeavor get in the way of this play having any particular point. There are a number of ill-developed characters, none of whom elicit much emotional reaction."Arcadia" is sort of a literary parallel to "Twister" or "Jurassic Park": Lots of focus on the special effects, very little on a plot or character development.
Book Review: A Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
This play is one of the greatest works of drama I have ever read, hands down. Stoppard gives his characters an emotional depth in very few words. The symmetry between the two eras is obvious, but not so much as to be hokey. This easily surpasses Rosencrantz and Gulildenstern as his greatest work.Book Review: A little of everything
Summary: 5 Stars
Though a big fan of many of Stoppard's plays, I rate this one the highest. I have seen it and read it several times and every time I find something new. Stoppard amazingly weaves quantum physics with gardening, the crisis of the modern scientific era and a love story. And the way that he does it all is so creative that you do not want it to end.Book Review: A truly beautiful play that's not about the math
Summary: 5 Stars
I read this play in my second year as a theatre major for a tech theatre class. We were using the play primarily to learn about developing prop lists - and there are a lot of props in the play. My professor, being wise enough to realize any theatre professional should be well-rounded, opened up a discussion to the students about the plays we were reading outside the aspects of them we were "using" the plays for (set design, costume design, etc.). What startled me most about the responses to this play were how many people despised it because they didn't understand the math, or didn't find the math interesting, or couldn't see the point of the math. While I'm not going to give away the plot, I will say to anyone interested in reading this play that it is not about the math. The math is a red herring, a device to illustrate what is ultimately a story about what guilt and regret can do to a person, and if you pay attention to what happens (and you really have to because the play is so wonderfully complex) the last scene is quite devestating. Stoppard is one of my favorite playwrights - R&G Are Dead is my favorite play - and this story is funny, intelligent, and heartbreaking all at the same time. He has a wonderful way of drawing you in with wit and intellect and tricking you into thinking you're watching a comedy, only to pull the rug out from under you at the very end. This play is no exception. It's not the sort of play you can skim through in reading or get up in the middle of a scene to use the facilities, as quite literally every line is important, and if you miss something you're probably going to be lost for the rest of the show. This is part of the story's genius. In our modern age of short attention spans, Stoppard forces you to pay attention to Arcadia, and the twist at the end is well worth it. This truly is a marvelous play.Book Review: ARCADIA may be better than ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN.
Summary: 5 Stars
Containing a deft nod to the British Romantics, a few jabs at modern scholarship, brilliant characters, and some really funny one-liners, ARCADIA is a truly great play. It's not as hyperactive as R+G, but possesses a certain balanced rhythm of its own. Read it.