Includes the plays Britannicus; Phedra and BereniceJean Racine is the greatest tragedian of the French seventeenth century; using its strict rules and conventions to tell stories of overwhelming passion and cruelty.This volume brings together three of his greatest plays. Britannicus; the earliest; is set in the court of the young Emperor Nero; and in an atmosphere seething with erotic tension; documents the power-struggles surrounding the birth of a legendary despot. Berenice probes the hearts of two lovers as they are torn apart amidst the splendours of Imperial Rome; and in Phedra; the most famous of the three; a woman betrayed by her own desires descends into a personal hell of shame; guilt and remorse. These classic versions; by two of the countrys most distinguished director-translators; prove that Racine is far from untranslatable; they offer blisteringly effective poetry; urgent plotting and powerhouse roles for both actors and actresses.
#3031528 in eBooks 2006-07-20 2013-04-02File Name: B00C705T2K
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Great writing; but more images would be niceBy GhostFrappeI bought this book for research purposes - my thesis is on animation censorship and Cohens book has proven to be a valuable source of information. Its too bad it came out not too long before South Park first aired - I bet he could have had a field day with that show. Cohen obviously did lots and lots of research; not only from written sources; but going so far as to conduct interviews with various people in the industry so that his book has totally exclusive content. It also isnt just about Western-made cartoons either - theres information on imported animation as well as independent films and even strikes at all the big animation studios. And Cohen really covers all bases too. I think he goes on about Song of the South for about 20 pages alone.My only complaint is that there isnt more artwork. Dont get me wrong; there are some images; but its a book about animation! There were only a few pieces of artwork throughout the whole book. I kind of wish Cohen would have at least done that thing where authors will put a few pages of color images right in the middle of the book.Dont let my one complaint sway you from a purchase; though. This book is very much worth it and is a great source of information right up to the 1990s. I almost wish hed release an updated version covering things from the 1990s to the present - with the current airing of many more mature cartoons like South Park; Aqua Teen Hunger Force; Robot Chicken; Metalocalypse; The Boondocks and many other titles; the author would have plenty of new material to cover.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A great book about animation and censorship issuesBy E. Anwar Sosa CasasI can say Karl F. Cohen really made a lot of research to publish this book; time flies by when you read the great anecdotes about how animation is affected by censorship. It has a great material for the animation enthusiasts and researchers. Maybe a few more illustrations would make the book better; but the information is a true treasure;and you will learn curious facts and well documented situations on the animation industry. A most for anyone that loves animation and feel curiosity about how animated short films and features has been affected since the Hays Code until our PC times.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Animation - not just cartoonsBy J. J. KwashnakAnimation has always been a reflection of popular culture; sometimes on the cutting edge; sometimes just a mainstream reaction. Yet because of the popular idea that animation is "kids stuff;" it is sometimes not taken seriously. Cohen tries to shine a light on how animation goes way beyond "kids stuff" and reflects on the social forces that went into the creation of animated shorts and features. Despite being seen as a niche; animation has been subjected to a lot of self imposed rules of what can and cannot be shown; and to a lot of outside forces by both organized efforts such as the Hayes Office and less organized efforts such as popular protests against films like Coonskin or Fritz the Cat.You do not have to know a lot about animation to enjoy this book. It helps; but most of us have been exposed to a number of the examples cited over the course of growing up. And what is politically incorrect is a moving target; so what was acceptable in one era is wholly out now. We see it even today with the television censorship of violence in classic cartoons.Its also important to note that despite being seen as a less serious medium that could often get away with more than film; animators were still subject to the same winds of politics as illustrated by the final chapter on blacklisting. Animators were asked to name names to the HUAC; and many did not work in Hollywood again for defying the committee. Until I read this book I had no idea of the breadth of this blacklisting upon animators and it reinforces the shame of this era of our history.Rather than passing judgment; Cohen uses mostly illustrations to show his point; letting the reader decide how much was/is too much. And he brings this battle of content into the late 20th century with examples of battles over The Simpsons; and Ren and Stimpy. Overall a very fascinating look into an area that is usually glossed over or ignored.