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| Plot Summary of George Bernard Shaw |
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"Chesterton excels himself as a biographer in this study. Being himself a famous author and a long-standing friend of George Bernard Shaw, he covers the life and works of the Irish playwright Shaw with warmth and critical perspicacity. In one hundred thrifty pages Chesterton covers the ground in a notably more concise style than is his wont. The three main formative influences on Shaw are covered in the first three chapters of note: The Irishman; The Puritan (highly enlightening on Puritanism in general); and The Progressive (social critic). The next chapter, 'The Critics', covers the understanding (which is to say, the misunderstanding) of Shaw's works by the other critics and the public at large. 'The Dramatist' concisely reviews his earlier key plays in terms of his development and their typicality of Shaw as a whole. The longest and best chapter is 'The Philosopher' which looks at his later development from the time of 'Caesar and Cleopatra' and 'Man and Superman', when Shaw lost his faith in humanism (through reading Plato), and turned to Nietzsche for some other vague form of inspiration.
The depth and breadth of understanding of Shaw the man and his works herein is due not only to the customary genius of Chesterton, but also the personal relationship he had with his fellow member of the literati. As he jokes in his introduction: "Most people either say that they agree with Bernard Shaw or that they do not understand him. I am the only person who understands him, and I do not agree with him.""
Michael JR Jose, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of George Bernard Shaw |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession:
- writer
Job/profession/poverty story
Yes
Period of greatest activity?
- 1900+
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- writer
Age:
- 60's-90's
Eccentric/Mental
Yes
Eccentric:
- eccentric
- obsessed
Biography of famous person?
Yes
Ethnicity
- White
Nationality
- Irish/McCourt
How sensitive is this person?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other people
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
- Ireland
City?
Yes
City:
- London
Century:
- 1900-1920's
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Book makes you feel?
- thoughtful
Is book humorous?
Yes
If humorous, kind of humor
- eccentric personalities
- metaphorical
Commentary on society?
Yes
Commentary on
- wicked men
Writer's slant towards subject:
- favorable
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of set of events during life
Pictures/Illustrations?
- None
How much dialogue in bio?
- little dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 76%-100% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story?
- 26-50% of book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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