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Luigi Pirandello (1867-1936), master of style, appeared first as poet, pure in style, severe in inspiration, but later "found himself" in writing humorous tales, novels and especially dramas. His humor, though at bottom sad and almost pessimistic, is not of a quiet sort. To him man appears as a creature more miserable than grotesque, eternally made sport of by the irony of fate. Such is the philosophy in "Signora Speranza", one of the most characteristic of his novellas. In 1934 Pirandello was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. ... Read more

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The second of a two-volume set containing English translations of Luigi Pirandello's original Sicilian plays, retaining the names of the original characters, their dialogue, other perculiarities of the Sicilian tongue, and the nature and flavour of their mores. ... Read more

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Luigi Pirandello (1867-1936) is best known in the English-speaking world for his radical challenge to traditional Western theatre with plays such as Six Characters in Search of an Author.. This book argues for the centrality of the character in all of Pirandello's writings - novels, short stories, and essays as well as plays. It explores the different ways in which his fictional and dramatic characters struggle to sustain an identity of their own, tell their life-stories, and assert themselves before their most prominent antagonist, the author himself. ... Read more

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Pirandello's savage comedy from 1921 reflects the warp of European reality after World War I and advances his philosophical arguement that reality is never a rock certainty, only a subjective creation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Entertaining, but subtelties lost on a theatre novice
Adapted for a 90-minute production, Enrico IV is a quick read that is rewarding although lacking in comparison to other great plays.We are offered a brief glimpse into the world of an (apparently very wealthy) Italian nobleman who has taken on the role of the 11th century Holy Roman Emperor Heinric (Henry, Enrico) IV.The role begins as a psychotic episode initiated by a horsing accident and continues as his madness fades and `Enrico' chooses the role over what he views as the absurdity of reality.Pirandello offers other themes as well in this short study: the nature of actor versus character, reality versus illusion, and the place of psychology in a world that prefers madness to rationality.

This adaptation appears to have been developed for theatre and students of theatre.Although I enjoy theatre, I am not a student of the form and therefore claim under-appreciation through ignorance.As it stands, the conclusion seems obvious and no character seems as powerful as `Enrico.'I would have also enjoyed the deleted historical exposition concerning the alternate reality chosen by `Enrico.'Are there actual similarities between the historical figure and the actor?Did the historical figure possess characteristics the actor wished to see in himself?

Overall, this appears to be a `must read' for students of theatre based on other reviews, but merely a `pleasant read' for everyone else.Quick and entertaining, but lacking the explicit depth of some of the better-known plays.

Pirandello's Art: A Kingly Paradox
Enrico IV (Henry IV), is probably Pirandello's second most known play, right behind his immaculate Six Characters In Search of an Author. The play takes place in the "throne room" of a man who thinks he is Enrico IV (the Holy Roman Emperor) ever since he fell off a horse at a masquerade party.His friends and former lover return with a doctor and try to cure him of his insanity.They humor him at the beginning, then they try to find a way to resolve his mental problem.Eventually Enrico reveals that he is indeed not insane, but regresses (voluntarily?) back into his mask of playing Enrico IV.This play beautifully presents Pirandello's common themes and contains a beautifully operatic ending just as I expect from the Italian master.I recommend this book for any Theatre, English, or Comparative Literature student.This edition and translation of the book leave out a lot of useless historical references and create a very clean reading of the play.I highly encourage you to read Pirandello, anything and everything you can find, he is truly a genious of the theatre. ... Read more

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tr various hands ... Read more

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Pirandello at his best with some of his early works.
All four plays contained in this volume represent the quintessential Pirandello: poetic, humoristic, the ever present Pirandello theme:the certainty of the uncertainty.Also important to note is"Grafted" - one of his early works which was never translatedinto the English language before."The Other Son" also importantsince it was made into a movie in the late 70's (part of a trilogy)- a filmabsolutely worth watching for any Pirandello fan. ... Read more

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Luigi Pirandello(1867-1936) An esayist, novelist and short-story writer, he eventually took up playwriting and quite simply became the founder of modern drama as we know it, a fact that brought him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1934. The plays in this volume are Six Characters in Search of an Author, Right You Are (If you Think So) and Henry IV. ... Read more