Tiffany K. (tiffanyak) -
I actually read an online version of this text provided by my teacher as part of my Introduction to Drama course, so this is not the same version I'm writing about, but is the same work. While it is a great example of Restoration Comedy, I personally didn't care for it much. The version we were provided with didn't include any notes or summaries, which I ended up looking up online to help me follow the events, since the language is rather hard to follow even when read slowly and carefully. Fortunately, with some help from the summaries, I was able to follow it well enough to gain an appreciation for it, even if I personally found it tedious to keep track of. Yet, there's definitely humor there, and it is rather distinct from other works we've read in the class, or that I've read outside of it. It is also a Comedy of Manners, which provides a great backdrop to see evolve over time if you read other plays in the genre. So, somewhat entertaining, but not one I'm likely to add to my personal collection, though it is worth a read.
Robert M. (shotokanchef) reviewed The Way of the World (Dover Thrift Editions) on + 813 more book reviews
Classic this is: the battle of the sexes. It has all of the lusting, scheming, backbiting, and scandal that would be the envy of Shakespeare. Yet one has to peruse it diligently. There are so many characters interacting against one another, or in collusion, that I found it distracting. Rife with footnotes to explain the old English verbiage, this also tends to slow one down. I think that I shall have to give it a rest and reread this at a later date.
