Martin Gottfried, winner of the George Jean Nathan Award for dramatic criticism, is the author of Sondheim and All His Jazz, among other books. He lives in New York City, and Amagansett, NY.
Arthur Miller's All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, and View from the Bridge rank as masterpieces of the 20th-century American stage. Veteran drama critic Gottfried (Jed Harris: The Curse of Genius) tells the story of this famed playwright, whom he believes has been more appreciated overseas than in his own country. Skillfully drawing on Miller's correspondence and notebooks, as well as interviews with friends and colleagues, he illuminates the family dynamics of Miller's childhood-and the marked change from privilege to poverty when the Depression struck-and other relationships and experiences. This information, in turn, sheds light on some of the dramatic characters and themes in Miller's work. Details about his three marriages (particularly to Marilyn Monroe), children, friendships, and working relationships with luminaries such as Elia Kazan, and more are presented honestly, intelligently, and without sensationalism. Miller decided not to participate in Gottfried's project, but he did help the author secure access to important documents in research libraries. Gottfried's access to original research makes his book especially in-depth, and with the few biographies of Miller either out of print or emphasizing criticism, this is an important purchase for large theater collections.-Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Former New York Post drama critic Gottfried (Sondheim) shares an illuminating and profound picture of playwright Miller. Outraged at the shameful critical disrespect heaped in recent years on the author of Death of a Salesman and All My Sons, Gottfried carefully analyzes all Miller's plays to rebut the adverse comments. An indifferent student, son of a father barely literate yet successful as a women's clothing manufacturer, Miller (b. 1915) blossomed in college and produced promising works: Final Curtain, Honors at Dawn and They Too Arise. The Jewish Miller married Catholic Mary Grace Slattery, the daughter of anti-Semitic parents, and persevered despite the failure of his first production, The Man Who Had All the Luck (1944). After this rejection, Miller consciously aimed to create a commercial hit, accomplished with All My Sons. Gottfried leads readers through the playwright's meticulous work regimen-his attention to potential titles, dialogue and scene descriptions, pointing out that it took five years, six drafts and 700 pages before Miller was satisfied with his first hit. Material about Marilyn Monroe is incorporated seamlessly throughout the text, and Gottfried refuses to unbalance his overall literary study with sensationalism. He compellingly presents the Miller/Elia Kazan artistic collaborations and doesn't avoid unflattering details (e.g., his subject's tendency toward pomposity and his tight-fisted financial attitude) but also expresses admiration for Miller's willingness to offer informer Lee J. Cobb a starring role in A View from the Bridge. (Miller discussed his plays with Gottfried, but not his life.) Only Inge Morath, Miller's third wife, remains shadowy. Fortunately, personal stories are refreshingly secondary in one of the rare books that makes the playwriting process comprehensible and consistently involving. Agent, Elaine Markson. (Sept. 15) Forecast: Miller will turn 88 in October, which could help initial sales, but the book's strength lies in its endurance. Gottfried's strong track record combined with the book's depth should make this a classic. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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