The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Glass Menagerie
Book Review: A Hysterical Mother, A Lazy Sister And A Part Time Alcoholic!!! Sir Lawrence Olivier Was A Very Astute Judge Of Plays!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This play is often mistaken by critics as a so called 'Masterpiece " and "Classic". It is about a hysterical Matriarch named Amanda who has two children. Tom , her son is a part time alcoholic who works in a factory and her daughter Laura is a self absorbed introverted girl who just wants to listen to her old worn out records all day and play with her glass menagerie of animals.No doubt Amanda never heard the saying"Don't bite the hand that feeds you (literally)". Amanda despairs at Laura's lack of Employment and Social skills so she enrols her in Secretarial School in the vain hope that she might one day GET A JOB and stop being a leech and parasite on Tom who is the only Breadwinner in this family. This play is characterized by the usual hysterical dramatic outbursts of needy, pathetic, nuerotic characters which was a signature of many of Mr. William's works. The Late , Great Sir Lawrence Olivier described Mr. William's plays as "rather sordid pieces of work from a troubled mind" and I must agree with this fine actor's opinion. It is also interesting to note that Sir Olivier did his utmost to dissuade his wife Ms. Vivien Leigh from starring in another one of Mr. William's plays.Who can judge the quality of a Play better than The Greatest Actor Of The 20th Century? As it turned out his highly mentally unstable wife Vivian Leigh was awarded an Oscar for her performance in "A Streetcar Named Desire". This only goes to prove that one can deliver a great performance in a piece of trash just like Renee Zelwigger did in "Chicago" which was a movie of "all flash and no substance " which is a lot like Mr. Williams'works.Ms. Leigh was like Blanche insofar as they both shared similarly unstable personalities which is well documented by her various biographers. One can only come to the conclusion that this is why she was able to portray the hysterical, nuerotic Blanche so well. So I guess Sir Lawrence was correct after all.Perhaps one can understand the erratic behaviour of the people in this play when one stops to consider that Mr. Williams was an alcoholic and a barbituate addict.I also do suspect that this play may have been written in a Dramatically Altered State Of Consciousness due to the abuse of these substances. Mr. Williams' departure from this "Mortal Coil" was also quite unique.I give this play 5 stars because it is always most amusing for me to find a play about people who just can't "make it through the dark night" without an Irrational,Hysterical and Dramatic Outburst or ten.Book Review: A Sad Girl
Summary: 4 Stars
I remember watching a film adaptation of this book, and I distinctly remember my impressions of it. The sister did not come across as "lazy" to me, as one reviewer stated Laurence Olivier thought. She seemed depressed, a deep unhappiness, as if something had wounded her at some time. There was more there than met the eye. I found the story depressing overall, a real downer. But most Tennessee Williams stories aren't uppers.Book Review: A Simplistic Story of Human Emotion
Summary: 5 Stars
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams is what many refer to as a memory play about the Wingfield family set in St. Louis during the 1930's. The narration is doused with nostalgia so the reader never receives a true sense of reality when reading the story. The dialogue is simple and easily understandable. The story's message shines through and the general public can relate to the characters because of this very fact.
Williams interweaves symbolism between characters with their surroundings or objects in several instances throughout the play. Whether Williams is comparing Laura's innocence with the fragility of her glass figurines or Jim, "the gentlemen caller", with the hopes and dreams of the whole Wingfield family, symbolism is a key literary device used in the play.
However, despite the symbolism being intriguing and fun to figure out, the social ideals of the time might be hard for younger generations to understand or relate to. One could easily find Laura's extreme shyness and unwillingness to leave the house for school quite perplexing. Also, the way in which her innocence was revered by Jim for being precious might also confuse some readers. Moreover, Amanda's many stories of gentlemen callers and the pressure she puts on Tom to find one for his sister Laura is not a situation most people are faced with in this day and age. However, if the reader can look past these differences and focus on the family dynamic of the three characters I think they'll be able identify better with the story.
I could connect with the character of Laura's sense of awkwardness because of being "handicapped" and also felt sympathy towards Tom's feelings of obligation for his family. I enjoyed this play very much and would recommend anyone to read it. I think any reader could appreciate this play because it is so easy to read and we all have family and friends who we share a dynamic with similar to the ones provided by the characters in the story.
Book Review: A Thoroughly Enjoyed Classic
Summary: 4 Stars
Exactly what the title reads above. It's a quick read that follows the play exactly.Book Review: A Tragedy to Literature
Summary: 1 Stars
I don't care if this play was somehow a foil of Tennessee Williams life, it was the worst "work" of "literature" I have ever been forced to read for school. I must add that I did read the whole thing and understood it. I took a class on it in ninth grade and got a A on my paper. But this is a story of Tom's pathetically sad life that involves his taking care of his aging mother who can't give up her past and his disabled sister with an unusal attration to glass figurines of animals. This play is filled with symbols, metaphores, and all that jazz, expecting you to feel for the characters and Tom. No, his unenthusiastic approaches at life, and depressed facade turn down any simpathy you feel for him. Amanda the mother is obnoxious, end of story. And Laura the sister is SO helpless you can't help from stopping to want to end her life now. Don't buy the play DON'T DO NOT watch it and never think about it again. Horrible.