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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Early printed books; Rare books; Private libraries; Antiques ... Read more

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The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Western literary study flows out of eighteenth-century works by Alexander Pope, Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Frances Burney, Denis Diderot, Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and others. Experience the birth of the modern novel, or compare the development of language using dictionaries and grammar discourses.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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National Library of Scotland

N019054

Also issued as part of: 'The theatre, tragic & comic', Edinburgh, 1776.

Edinburgh : printed and sold by J. Robertson, 1774. 99,[1]p.,plate ; 12° ... Read more

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New Mermaids are modernized and fully-annotated editions of classic English plays. Each volume includes:

• The playtext, in modern spelling, edited to the highest bibliographical and textual standards
• Textual notes recording significant changes to the copytext and variant readings
• Glossing notes explaining obscure words and word-play
• Critical, contextual and staging notes
• Photographs of productions where applicable
• A full introduction which provides a critical account of the play, the staging conventions of the time and recent stage history; discusses authorship, date, sources and the text; and gives guidance for further reading.

Edited and updated by leading scholars and printed in a clear, easy-to-use format, New Mermaids offer invaluable guidance for actor, student, and theatre-goer alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Romantic, Cold, and Wickedly Witty: The Masterpiece of Late Restoration Comedy
The English theatre of 1700 was not noticeably like western theatre of today.Simply stated, the audience was half the show.

Aristocrats and nobility dressed to ridiculous heights of fashion, arrived late with as much disruptive fanfair as possible, spent a great deal of time talking to each other, and thought nothing of nipping out for a half-hour or so during the play.The middle and lower class spectators paid as much attention, if not more, to these goings on--and if by some chance you became bored by both play and audience you could always visit one of the attractive young women who sold refreshments and often themselves as well.

These circumstances gave a very distinct shape to plays of the period.They tended to very long, running three and four hours, with the plot itself not becoming apparent until well into the play, all of the major characters discussed in virtually every scene, and each essential plot repeated over and over again.You could arrive half an hour or an hour late; you could miss an entire scene through conversation with your neighbor; you could step out for a drink and come back again--and even so you could still follow the play.

Read today, the vast majority of Restoration drama seem horrendously drawn out, and they are now seldom read or performed.Restoration comedy, however, is a different matter: a master could turn the repetitive structure into a dazzling display of wit, style, and high art.When it comes to Restoration comedy, and in spite of the fact that his output was actually quite small, William Congreve (1670-1729) was a master's master indeed.First staged in 1700, THE WAY OF THE WORLD sparkles like a collection of rare jewels.Congreve had reason to exert himself to the full extent of his talents on this occasion: the play was written for celebrated actress Anne Bracegirdle, who was said to be his lover.

The play is convoluted in terms of characters and subplots, but at core it is remarkably direct.Mirabelle has a somewhat questionable past that includes numerous romantic conquests; he has, however, decided to marry the beautiful and wealthy Millimant.Unfortunately, the match is greatly opposed by Lady Wishfort, whose refusal to give consent will have the effect of depriving Millimant of her fortune.The action of the play arises from Mirabelle's efforts to trap Lady Wishfort into giving consent, thereby securing Millimant's inheritance.

The play is particularly interesting because the characters behave according to a highly polished code of elegant manners and express a preoccupation with love--but are actually motivated by money to an amazingly crass degree.A romantically inclined beauty might speak of her great emotion, but she is careful to keep a hand on her pocketbook and her eye on the bottom line just the same.The result is akin to a frilligree heart unexpectedly carved into a block of ice; the form is beautiful but the content too cold to embrace.There is no doubt that Mirabelle and Millimant love each other, but there is no doubt that neither will marry the other without a lot of cash thrown in for good measure.

More than one critic has regarded THE WAY OF THE WORLD as a satire on the superficial values of Restoration aristocracy.More than one has also preferred Congreve's earlier LOVE FOR LOVE, which is considerably warmer in tone.Clearly, there is an iciness about THE WAY OF THE WORLD that some find distinctly off-putting!But as Congreve himself might have said, money makes the world go round--and love is included in the spin. Whatever the case, THE WAY OF THE WORLD is a wickedly funny, subtly nasty, and unexpectedly enchanting play, among the best of the best.Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Classic Comedy of Manners - Restoration Period
The first three acts of William Congreve's play, The Way of the World (1700), involve little action. The scenes focus on introducing and contrasting characters, highlighting witty dialogue, and slowly revealing details of prior events through casual references. Polite, formalized language disguises selfish motives, rivalries, deceit, and deviousness.

Selfish motives, deciet, and other negative attributes may not seem a proper basis for comedy, and yet The Way of the World warrants four stars. For comparison purposes I strongly recommend reading two other Restoration period comedies: Wycherley's The Country Wife (1675) and Etherege's The Man of Mode (1676). All three plays share a cynical view of the sanctity of marriage and portray a self-centered London society obsessed with extramarital affairs.

The action (certain steps to overcome obstacles to a marriage) in The Way of the World does not occur until the later acts. The marriage between Mirabell and Millamant proceeds only after both are assured that their financial situation will not be jeopardized. Love is secondary. Similarly, the unpleasant situation of Mrs. Fainall - a marriage without any pretence of love - remains unchanged.

While humor may be somewhat sparse in the earlier acts, the tempo clearly picks up in acts four and five. The plot becomes extremely fluid when Mirabell's inventive fraud unravels, and his rival, Mr. Fainall, gains the upper hand. However, the last act offers a delightful twist that puts things right. (Puts things right might be an overstatement given that the play's key characters are somewhat lacking in scruples.)

Although The Way of the World is only occasionally staged today, this play is often assigned reading. My favorite edition is Barron's Educational Series (1958) as it provides plentiful stage directions. In particular, indications of expression - essentially guidance to actors on the proper delivery of the dialogue - are inserted as the dialogue switches from one character to another. Examples include: "somewhat sourly recollecting the rebuff of the previous evening", "using frankness as a bait to draw equal frankness from her companion", and "too preoccupied to pay serious attention". The Barron's edition also has a lengthy introduction by Vincent Hopper and Gerald Lahey, a 5-page note on staging by George Hersey, and illustrations by Fritz Kredel.

A Crofts Classic edition (published 1951, reprinted 1985) provides a useful section titled The Argument of the Play, in which the editor, Henry T. E. Perry, summarizes events that occurred prior to the beginning of the play. (Remember that the dialogue in the early acts slowly - and often obliquely - reveals details of prior events through casual references.) Perry also discusses how William Congreve adroitly used dialogue to reveal much about the personalities of his characters.

The Way of the World can also be found in the Norton Critical Edition (1973) titled Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Comedy. The extensive appendix includes an 80-page section titled Criticism From Lamb to the Present; two articles directly address Congreve's play: The Way of the World by Norman Holland and Form and Wit in The Way of the World by Martin Price.

One of the greatest plays of all time
"The Way of the World" is a true masterpiece of wit and social commentary. It anticipates later works by such masters of dialogue as Oscar Wilde. I read this play in a course on restoration and 18th century drama that I took in graduate school and it was by far among my favorite plays that semester. Those who complain that it is too complex (and then contradict themselves by calling it a mere soap opera) clearly do not appreciate the subtlety and multiple layers of Congreve's genius. While yes, some characters are one dimensional, the main characters are multi-layered and complex. Case in point - Mirabel, the male protagonist, clearly loves Millamant but has mercenary ambitions as well. He also has an implied rakish past, which led to the extremely unhappy marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Fainall (though he endeavors to come to Mrs. Fainall's aid during the course of the play). Certainly many of the characters are stereotypes, but that in itself is interesting and highly comical. The dialogue is absolutely brilliant, among the best I've seen. I highly recommend giving this play the time and attention it deserves - "The Way of the World" is highly rewarding entertainment.

Three's Company Meets All My Children in 1700
William Congreve's "The Way of the World" is a Restoration period comedy of manners which features scheming stock characters and pokes fun at the upper class of the time.The plot is propelled by a series of silly missunderstadings(ala Three's Company) and there is an almost incestous exchange of lovers very reminiscent of any modern day soap opera.The major difficulty of reading this play is that vital information about the character's pasts is being revealed as the present action is being carried out, leaving the reader unclear about who did what with whom and when.
This was by far the most confusing play I have ever read, yet I found much of the dialogue very witty and amusing, particularly the scene in which Millament and Mirabell negotiate the particulars of their marriage contract. While I found the characters rather shallow and hard to relate to, I often found myself chuckling at their masterful wordplay and appreciated the fact that they were so aware of and comfortable with their own self-absorption.I feel "The Way of the World" paints an interesting picture of the mores and ideals(if one can call them ideals!) of the upper class of 1700 and for me, this made the chore of reading it worthwhile.

Rubbish!
Knowing I would be forced to study this work for my A Level in English Lit, I was sure I would enjoy it due to the comedy and satire involved.I was wrong.As the first reviewer claimed, The Way of the World is just like a soap opera!I appreciate the intention of Congreve was to satirise the follies of the upper classes at the time but this does not make the play any less tedious.The plot is unnecessarily complex and rather difficult to follow at times.It all boils down to romance and infidelity in the end, as one might expect.Granted, it is fairly well written, but if there's a stupid plot and irritating, useless characters, no amount of creative flair in writing can compensate.As well as that, the language, while not difficult, is different from that of modernity so makes it awkward.OK, we expect this from an 18th century piece of literature, but it still causes problems for a modern audience/reader.The worst thing was being told by the teacher when we were meant to laugh - that obviously kills any comedy value in the play.Exam boards should add some more modern plays to their syllabus!Not to mention ones with meaningful, interesting plots and characters.This is not worth the paper it's written on, in my humble opinion. ... Read more

Product Description
The career of William Congreve as comic dramatist was brief but highly successful. From the beginning he showed a useful knack for cultivating influential literary friends and for giving audiences what they were sure to like. Early in 1693, his first comedy, The Old Batchelour, pleased the public at Drury Lane, and critics hailed the appearance of a new talent in the theatre who gave a sharp edge to the theatrical conventions at the time. Much was expected of Congreve's second offering, The Double Dealer, mounted later the same year. Its surprisingly bitter tone disconcerted many listeners, however, and the play drew only moderate praise. But this setback proved temporary, and Congreve found his reputation regained with Love for Love, and in 1700 his finest comedy of manners The Way of the World. After this he wrote no more comedies. Aware of changing tastes in his audience, and annoyed by critical squabbles over the question of morality in his plays, he retired at the age of thirty to the life of a gentleman of leisure. ... Read more

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The wittiest of a renowned playwright’s masterful comedies

A master of the comedy of manners, William Congreve was the most elegant of the Restoration dramatists. With piercing accuracy, he depicted the shallow world of "society," where the right artifice in manners, fashion, and conversation—and money—eased the passage to success.
*?Also includes The Old Bachelor, The Double Dealer, and Love for Love ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Such Wit
Like many reviewers I begin by noting Congreve is not Shakespeare. But he has nearly as much splendor and resonance, in a narrower vein, perhaps, but not less wonderful than much that the Bard wrote.'Love for Love' is witty, urbane and silky smooth. The characters are stiffer than Shakespeare's, but Congreve writes to different conventions and uses them to reach us, his readers or viewers, more personally than one would think possible.Congreve reaches brilliant heights of humor and language. As usual, this Penguin edition is good quality and good value.If you know Congreve through other works, this is the writer at his best.... Enjoy. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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The Double-Dealer; The Way of the World; Incognita ... Read more

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Originally published in 1888.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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Bartlett updates and expands William Congreve: A Reference Guide (1979) with substantial additional scholarship on the playwright, influenced by new literary perspectives. ... Read more

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1923. This is Volume II of II of the Complete Works of William Congreve. Congreve's literary apprenticeship was served under the tutelage of John Dryden, the leading playwright of the day. William Congreve only wrote five plays before retiring from writing to work in government. Contents: The Way of the World; The Judgment of Paris; Semele; Squire Trelooby; Humour in Comedy; The Amendments of Mr. Collier's Citations; Congreve's Poems; Preface to Dryden; and The Tatler. Volume 1 ISBN 0766187381. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:THE WAY OF THE WORLDAudire est operae pretium, procedere recteQui mcechos non vultis, [ut omni parte laborent]."— Horat. Lib. i. Sat. 2. [37-38].[Haec] metuat, doti deprensa." — Ibid., Lib. i. Sat. 2. [131].THE WAY OF THE WORLDThe Way of the World was first acted in 1700 at the Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, and was not a success despite the brilliancy of the dialogue and the admirable quality of its representation of the foppish manners of the time. Congreve vowed in consequence never to write for the stage again ; and he kept his word. The comedy was printed in the same year and has since been regarded as the author's masterpiece in comedy.COMMENDATORY VERSESTo Mr. Congreve, occasioned by his Comedy called "The Way of the World" When pleasure's falling to the low delight, In the vain joys of the uncertain sight;" No sense of wit when rude spectators know, But in distorted gesture, farce and show; How could, great author, your aspiring mind Dare to write only to the few refined? Yet though that nice ambition you pursue, 'Tis not in Congreve's power to please but few. Implicitly devoted to his fame, Well-dressed barbarians know his awful name; 10Though senseless they're of mirth, but when they laugh, As they feel wine, but when, till drunk, they quaff." On you from fate a lavish portion fell In every way of writing to excel. Your muse applause to Arabella n brings, In notes as sweet as Arabella sings. Whene'er you draw an undissembled woe, With sweet distress your rural numbers flow: Pastora's the complaint of every swain, Pastora still the echo of the plain! 20 Or if your muse describe, with warming force, The wounded Frenchman falling from his horse; And her own William glorious in the strife," Bestowing on the prostrate foe his life... ... Read more

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The Comedies of William Congreve - Volume 1 [of 2] is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by William Congreve is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of William Congreve then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Western literary study flows out of eighteenth-century works by Alexander Pope, Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Frances Burney, Denis Diderot, Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and others. Experience the birth of the modern novel, or compare the development of language using dictionaries and grammar discourses.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
++++
National Library of Scotland

T190948



London : printed in the year, 1775. iv,82,[2]p.,plate ; 8° ... Read more