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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. FAMILY TIESBy GideonOhio-born author James Purdy died on March 13th 2009; leaving behind a legacy comprising numerous works. Among them are sixteen novels; seven books of stories and plays and five books of poetry.Discovered in the 50s by DAME EDITH SITWELL (nemo propheta in patria); praised in his lifetime by DOROTHY PARKER; GORE VIDAL and PAUL BOWLES; Mr Purdy lived a maverick life that swiftly earned him cult status and the reputation of a literary outlaw. Never one to kowtow to the powers that be; he often described his work as "an underground river; flowing often undetected through the American landscape".It is high time that more people found out about this river. If you need a reason to do it; you only have to read one book by Purdy and then compare it to the canon of THE GREAT AMERICAN WRITERS: you will discover that some of them are a little too tame and ordinary for comfort. A little too corny; even.This beautiful volume by Chicago publisher IVAN R. DEE goes in the right direction; as far as reappraisal is concerned. It is the first time that these plays have resurfaced in a new edition in the United States. Written between 1989 and 2001; they are a perfect starting point for any newcomer to Purdys work; as well as an utter delight to the aficionado. In the - alas - too brief preface by editor JOHN UECKER we learn that James Purdy - who is chiefly considered a novelist - started his adventure in literature as a playwright; a role he would return to on and off throughout his career; once even after being BEGGED to write drama by none other than TENNESSEE WILLIAMS. So this book collects no secondary work; but an essential part of our Ohio Bards oeuvre.These four plays should be more precisely described as TRAGEDIES. Of course they do not respect the aristotelian unity of time/space/action and their characters are not kings and princes; but their essence is deeply tragic and immensely affecting. Two of them also turn out to be new and inventive takes on stories already developed by the Stratford Bard himself; a.k.a. William S.: RUTHANNA ELDER; for instance; is a ROMEO AND JULIET with a twist set in a rural community in 1919; while reading THE PARADISE CIRCUS one cannot help thinking of a deft; mesmerizing reincarnation of KING LEAR. Of these plays only RUTHANNA ELDER has a straight tragic ending with blood on stage; in apt senecan mode.The two remaining works (BRICE; WHERE QUENTIN GOES) are more experimental. We like to think of them as SILENT TRAGEDIES; as there are no violent external events that precipitate their ending. Here the main characters undergo a psychological implosion and create a sudden; silent void on stage by actually running away; thus leaving the others to deal with the consequences of their flight. And it is often through this implosion/disappearance that we understand that these were the main characters after all; Purdys ability to mask their role up to that point definitely produces shocking surprises; such that can rattle ones bones.As for themes; FAMILY is the burning core of SELECTED PLAYS. This is family that binds and gags at the same time; family exploding to create new forms of itself; family threatened by external love and devoured by internal lack of it. All the characters struggle to find their own identity; revealing snatches of their lives via vibrant confessionals.Their turmoil is channelled through a hypnotic language; based on a flexible form of American colloquial; every cue snaps into place with a perfectly nuanced twist; putting the reader in contact with vivid; living speech. There is also a tense erotic drive in almost every scene; which is sustained by a careful choice of words and turns of phrase; thus creating a subtly tantalizing atmosphere.It is therefore impossible to summarize this reading experience without resorting to the highest forms of praise. Mr Purdy has always been an extremely surprising author; and this volume is no exception to the rule.It should not stop here; though. We definitely need more texts - all the other plays; the poems - to resurface in new editions; as well as a stubborn; brave academic to take up the challenge of writing a full biography of this compelling author. Oh; and more readers; more peole to become aware of Mr Purdys importance in the landscape of American literature.In this regard we would like to suggest some further reading; as far as the novels are concerned. If you want a softer start try our mans 1960 classic; THE NEPHEW; a work imbued with beautiful melancholy at times raped by harsh truths. Or if you are ready for something more hard-edged and harrowing (in a good way) try NARROW ROOMS (1978); a book that; especially in its final part; easily outstrips all those scribblers who pretend to dabble with fear and horror (you know who they are; they even sell millions). If one or all of these suggestions work for you; rest assured: you will always want to quench your thirst at this rich underground river.Mr Purdy will be then yours for life.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. May his name not be writ in water.By GODFREY H.An unseeing genius of metaphysical American Gothic.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. TWO WONDERFUL PLAYS BY A MASTERBy CHESTER PAGEJAMES PURDY WAS AN ORIGINAL. HE WAS UNIQUE; WRITING STRANGE; OFTEN UNPOPULAR WORKS APPRECIATED BY AN UNDERGROUND BASE OF ADMIRERS.