Howard Brenton is one of Britains best-known and most controversial dramatistsThe Romans in Britain was the play that brought calls to bring back censorship when it was first staged at the National in 1980. It conjures up "an era that is culturally as well as historically remote which is a notoriously difficult task; but Mr Brenton acheives it with great skill and effect...a very good play indeed." In The Thirteenth Night: "He sets the characters of Shakespeare to find the elements in the British character which could transform an Englishman into a Stalin; and closes in on his creation with an overall wit to match his horror" (The Times). The Genius "is teeming with memorable stage pictures; and bristling with Brentons very best writing: flinty; impassioned; explosive" (Financial Times). In Bloody Poetry "Brenton is doing something markedly ambitious in this phantasmagoric play. He is celebrating the idea of the committed artist who seeks to stir and provoke sullen; defeated bourgeois England. At the same time; with clear-eyed honesty; he shows how difficult it is to upset the moral order" (The Guardian). Greenland is "on the one hand a cry of disillusionment with established political forms; on the other it is full of typically lively Brentonesque satire and lampoons...Brentons message is a welcome antidote to the madness in which we all now seem to be living and a sharp blast against patriarchy as well as other attendant woes" (City Limits).
#734819 in eBooks 2013-03-01 2013-03-01File Name: B00GLRNQYS
Review
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. An essential read for fans of Terry GilliamBy soccerjudeThis book was just WONDERFUL. Ive been a fan of Monty Python since I was a kid; and Ive loved many of Terry Gilliams movies--"Brazil"; "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen"; "Time Bandits"; "The Fisher King"...oh; lets just say that any of his movies that Ive seen Ive just adored. What attracted me to this book initially (since I saw it in a store) was that it was so incredibly colorful. Much in the same way that Gilliams artwork is multi-dimensional and incredibly tactile; even on a screen; this book is really meant to be consumed in printed form (or at least on a Kindle Fire/Kindle app; where the color can be viewed properly). Kindle/app viewers will miss out on the humorous "MEMEMEMEMEME" scrawling on the edges of the book."Gilliamesque" covers his life to date; beginning with his early years in Minnesota; through his time in California and New York; and then his auspicious move to England that ultimately led to his joining the Pythons and spending decades behind the camera making bizarre; luscious art. Interspersed throughout the book; you see pictures; drawings; and other memorabilia that help further illustrate his life (no pun intended). Little drips of paint are all over the place; giving the impression of the book as a canvas--which; really; it is; when you think about his life as having been colored in by his experiences and reactions to the various challenges and opportunities hes had over the course of his nearly 76 years on Planet Earth.As someone whos only ever really seen Gilliams work from the outside; having this inside view of his thought patterns; the events that formed and shaped his ideas; and the challenges that hes encountered really gave me a far better sense of why I have enjoyed his work. Gilliam is unapologetically creative; to the point where he makes it perfectly clear that hes not afraid to push buttons (regardless of whether that was the intent). I am so glad I bought this book; and now I cant wait to re-watch his films with an all-new perspective on the mad genius that created them.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. ... rare photographs and about six decades worth of Gilliams amazing artwork. I hear hes working on another book ...By MHQ-1988An overview of Terry Gilliams extraordinary career packed with rare photographs and about six decades worth of Gilliams amazing artwork. I hear hes working on another book which will plunge more deeply into his career. Dont expect to learn anything new or groundbreaking about Gilliam but an absolute joy nonetheless. Plenty of show business anecdotes about the likes of Marlon Brando; too.27 of 27 people found the following review helpful. I love Kindle; and I love Terry Gilliam; however ...By CustomerThis review only covers the Kindle version. I love Kindle; and I love Terry Gilliam; but I would definitely recommend buying the hardcover version of the book. When you see the book itself; you realize the layout and graphics are beautifully put together; whereas you lose 50% of the beauty of the design in the Kindle version. Additionally; the Kindle version is riddled with typographic errors; which is a big disappointment considering how meticulous Gilliam has always been about details. If you are a fan of Terry; spend the extra money and purchase the hardcover version instead.