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daveenabadyal's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
one of the only classic comedies that i've found genuinely quite funny
the writing was very clever - self-referential and tongue-in-cheek
the whole way through, i couldn't help but think that if this were to be adapted and turned into a movie/tv show for the modern era (kind of like Austen's 'Emma' inspiring 'Clueless'), it would genuinely perform so well
the writing was very clever - self-referential and tongue-in-cheek
the whole way through, i couldn't help but think that if this were to be adapted and turned into a movie/tv show for the modern era (kind of like Austen's 'Emma' inspiring 'Clueless'), it would genuinely perform so well
beccakatie's review against another edition
3.0
Although this play may have not received a warm reception the night of its first performance, I did enjoy it. I found it a good portrayal of the stereotype of elegant Georgian society, and it was a light read. Although its plot was made up of a number of different tropes, many of them over used in common literature, The Rivals put them to good use, combining them and switching between plots in a simple yet effective way.
It cannot be stated that this is a particularly remarkable play, there is nothing that stands out about it to make it a great work compared to many others, but it is an enjoyable portrayal of the Georgian upper class at Bath, caught up in pleasure, romance, and honour. I feel that it cannot be stated that it 'luckily' ends with everything resolved and without tragedy, as, once again, it adheres to the tropes and expectations of literature of that period, with a happy ending, all confusions untangled, all happiness restored, in a very predictable but overall tidy and satisfying way.
It cannot be stated that this is a particularly remarkable play, there is nothing that stands out about it to make it a great work compared to many others, but it is an enjoyable portrayal of the Georgian upper class at Bath, caught up in pleasure, romance, and honour. I feel that it cannot be stated that it 'luckily' ends with everything resolved and without tragedy, as, once again, it adheres to the tropes and expectations of literature of that period, with a happy ending, all confusions untangled, all happiness restored, in a very predictable but overall tidy and satisfying way.
_mhughes's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
aashreya's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ldjdbooks's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
danycatreader's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It was a fun read. Once you get used to the language, it was just plain fun to watch the characters get into all kinds of hijinks. Also, Mrs. Malaprop is one of the best characters ever, she genuinely made me laugh several times.
smcleish's review
5.0
Originally published on my blog here in June 1999.
Sheridan's play is a classic of English language theatre, and the characters have even entered the language (malapropism is derived from Mrs Malaprop, continually trying to impress with long words but using the wrong ones). It is, in form, a parody of a conventional romance, having two pairs of young lovers rather different from the norm.
To take the less important pair first, Faulkland is an exaggeration of the sensitive, jealous lover. His girl, Julia, is fairly insipid, but this is necessary because the audience should instantly appreciate that his fears spring entirely from his own mind, and have no basis in her behaviour or inclinations. (An example of this: when Julia returns to her country home briefly and he remains in Bath, Faulkland is at first made unhappy by the thought that her life will be unhappy without him; but when, to reassure him, he is told that she continues to enjoy herself, he is tormented by the thought that this proves her indifferent to him.)
In contrast to Faulkland and Julia, in the other pair of lovers it is not the man who is of interest but the woman. Jack Absolute is a typical young hero, rather in the mould of Fielding's [b:Tom Jones|99329|The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling|Henry Fielding|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311644178s/99329.jpg|1350343]. Lydia Languish, however, is not just the more interesting of the two of them, but the play's main character. (Having the major character in the play female is unusual for the period.) She is a hopeless romantic, addicted to the novels frequently condemned by contemporaries as responsible for the corruption of the morals of young ladies. (The absurdity of that idea is one of the targets Sheridan is attacking.)
In her desperate search for romance, Lydia rejects the fate of marriage to a young nobleman which is the allotted fate for a young lady of fortune. She wants to elope with a penniless man, forcing Jack, who would be the sort of suitor of whom Lydia's family would approve, to disguise himself as a poor army officer. Enjoying her clandestine meetings with "Ensign Beverley", Lydia is enraged when she discovers that he is, in fact, a gentleman - and is only mollified when Jack persuades her that he is only pretending to be rich to trick her family so that he can spend more time with her. (This is of course agreeably dangerous and romantic.)
The Rivals is a delightful play, even more so than Sheridan's other well known work, [b:The School for Scandal|387562|The School for Scandal|Richard Brinsley Sheridan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174361264s/387562.jpg|739108]. It does not really have a serious side, unless poking fun at the things young lovers take seriously counts as one.
Sheridan's play is a classic of English language theatre, and the characters have even entered the language (malapropism is derived from Mrs Malaprop, continually trying to impress with long words but using the wrong ones). It is, in form, a parody of a conventional romance, having two pairs of young lovers rather different from the norm.
To take the less important pair first, Faulkland is an exaggeration of the sensitive, jealous lover. His girl, Julia, is fairly insipid, but this is necessary because the audience should instantly appreciate that his fears spring entirely from his own mind, and have no basis in her behaviour or inclinations. (An example of this: when Julia returns to her country home briefly and he remains in Bath, Faulkland is at first made unhappy by the thought that her life will be unhappy without him; but when, to reassure him, he is told that she continues to enjoy herself, he is tormented by the thought that this proves her indifferent to him.)
In contrast to Faulkland and Julia, in the other pair of lovers it is not the man who is of interest but the woman. Jack Absolute is a typical young hero, rather in the mould of Fielding's [b:Tom Jones|99329|The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling|Henry Fielding|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311644178s/99329.jpg|1350343]. Lydia Languish, however, is not just the more interesting of the two of them, but the play's main character. (Having the major character in the play female is unusual for the period.) She is a hopeless romantic, addicted to the novels frequently condemned by contemporaries as responsible for the corruption of the morals of young ladies. (The absurdity of that idea is one of the targets Sheridan is attacking.)
In her desperate search for romance, Lydia rejects the fate of marriage to a young nobleman which is the allotted fate for a young lady of fortune. She wants to elope with a penniless man, forcing Jack, who would be the sort of suitor of whom Lydia's family would approve, to disguise himself as a poor army officer. Enjoying her clandestine meetings with "Ensign Beverley", Lydia is enraged when she discovers that he is, in fact, a gentleman - and is only mollified when Jack persuades her that he is only pretending to be rich to trick her family so that he can spend more time with her. (This is of course agreeably dangerous and romantic.)
The Rivals is a delightful play, even more so than Sheridan's other well known work, [b:The School for Scandal|387562|The School for Scandal|Richard Brinsley Sheridan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174361264s/387562.jpg|739108]. It does not really have a serious side, unless poking fun at the things young lovers take seriously counts as one.
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