A product of the golden age of Spanish drama; Life Is a Dream (La vida es suentilde;o) is the masterpiece of Pedro Calderoacute;n de la Barca (1600ndash;1681); a contemporary of Lope de Vega and one of Spains greatest literary figures.Acclaimed for his superb dramatic instincts and philosophical seriousness as well as his extraordinary imagination; Calderoacute;n exercised his best qualities in this allegorical play; an exploration of the mysteries of human destiny; the illusory nature of earthly existence; and the struggle between predestination and free will. The story revolves around the moral dilemmas of a Polish prince; unjustly imprisoned by his suspicious father. Against a background of revolution; Calderoacute;n builds a dramatic edifice of outstanding theatricality; rich in symbolism and metaphor; expressed in magnificent poetry.This excellent new English translation is absolutely complete; and as close and direct as possible. Ample footnotes and an informative introductory Publishers Note enhance the value of its modest price.
#402651 in eBooks 2012-04-27 2012-03-30File Name: B00A736PG8
Review
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful. oh mother of pearl I wouldnt trade you ....By DishyI am not through with the book yet (I am up to THE BRIDE STRIPPED BARE): this is very thorough and SLANTED - but thats okay. I purchased the entire Roxy/Bryan remasters and Buckleys harsh assessment of some of Ferrys solo work has made me play his solo recordings OVER and OVER and they only get better and better. He is a CRITIC so he is CRITICIZING - and a gushing book over the brilliance of Bryan would probably not work; I believe this author - being of course; very British; had his view which is what makes the reading so enjoyable. However as he states over and over - that Roxy/Bryan were too smart for the U.S; audience is so apparent I can almost shed Bryans tears. If you have had the luck to see them live (especially their recent "reunion" tour of @ 3 years ago that was so amazing I can still lose my voice just thinking of the screaming) - you know the genius of these men (and their darling Roxy Tottsies).A treasure.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy BillExcellent5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Essential Reading for Roxy Fans; Old and NewBy Chris DeLucaI first learned of the existence of this book from a passing reference in a Sunday New York Times Book Review magazine; it was given a left-handed compliment (something to the effect that should you want to know all the minute details of the bands history; it could be found in this book). Thats pretty much the sum of it - this is a great book about one of the greatest (and most under-rated) bands in music history. However; the author does not ignore the members flaws and shortcomings; this is a very objective look at a band who was responsible for its limited commercial success. However; Roxys influence on contemporary music can not be denied; far ahead of its time.