A Student's Guide to Eugene O'Neill. by Spring Hermann

Hermann, Spring. A Student’s guide to Eugene O’Neill.
Enslow, 2009, 176p, $27.93, 978-0-7660-2886-9.

This is an examination of O’Neill’s plays and how his life inspired his play writing. The author provides analysis of characters and a detailed assessment his play’s impact on society. Occasional black and white photographs highlight the text; includes chronology, chapter notes, glossary, books for further reading, Internet sites, and index.

This title is an examination of O’Neill’s plays and how his life inspired his play writing. The author provides and analysis of the characters in the dramas. There is a detailed assessment of O’Neill’s play’s impact on society and audience reactions to them as well as his influence on other well-known American playwrights such as Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. Mention of the historical background happening during the productions is a helpful aspect of this book that helps the reader gain perspective. Broadway productions as well as movies produced are discussed. The author also has a chapter about the recent revivals of O’Neill’s plays and the activities at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center for students. Occasional black and white photographs highlight the text in the appropriate places. The end of the book includes a chronology, chapter notes, glossary that has only nine words but most with somewhat lengthy definitions, a list of O’Neill’s major works, a list of books for further reading, Internet sites, and index. This title would be most useful in high schools due to the subject matter in most of O’Neill’s plays. It will be an excellent resource for English classes and for student research. I certainly learned a lot about these plays and this book has encouraged me to become an audience member for them, whenever possible. TW