Death of a Salesman - Mille feuilles

Paperback, 131 pages

English language

Published March 25, 2014 by Bloomsbury.

ISBN:: 978-1-4081-0841-3

(1 review)

Death ofa Salesman is Miller's tragic masterpiece about Willy Loman, the ageing travelling salesman haunted and driven by empty dreams of prosperity and success. Charting Willy's downfall and tragic end, the play has been justly celebrated as one of the most famous dramatisations of the dark side of the so-called American Dream. Its moral and political purpose is perfectly counterbalanced by a powerful and moving human drama: a man trying to make his way in the world whose human flaws ultimately lead to the shattering of his family and their illusions. The play won Miller both a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize and remains as powerful, today as when it opened. --back cover

44 editions

Maia@bookwyrm.social reviewed Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

3 stars

A fairly powerful comment on the destructive powers of American dream, on consumerism and the relationship between a father and his sons. In parts a confusing play to read, as large sections are composed of memories and hallucinations that are signposted only by stage instructions, meaning it would be simpler to understand the play in action rather than on paper. Indeed I would like to see the play on stage as the set design and use of different elements (such as characters walking through walls during hallucinations and memories) is quite unusual! I am not an American, or remotely involved in the "travelling salesman" industry, so I can't really judge how accurately this play represents the lived experience in America. I can only see how the same emotions run through the minds of many who do not know which of the paths in life to follow: passions, dollars, expectations, or …

A fairly powerful comment on the destructive powers of American dream, on consumerism and the relationship between a father and his sons. In parts a confusing play to read, as large sections are composed of memories and hallucinations that are signposted only by stage instructions, meaning it would be simpler to understand the play in action rather than on paper. Indeed I would like to see the play on stage as the set design and use of different elements (such as characters walking through walls during hallucinations and memories) is quite unusual! I am not an American, or remotely involved in the "travelling salesman" industry, so I can't really judge how accurately this play represents the lived experience in America. I can only see how the same emotions run through the minds of many who do not know which of the paths in life to follow: passions, dollars, expectations, or a combination of the above. This play comes to a fairly singular conclusion as to which path you should follow (no prizes for guessing which!), and so it seems a well-worn tale in this theme of literature.