false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181813192m/1198385.jpg 17914 8 <div>The play begins with Max and Charlotte, a couple whose marriage seems about to rupture. But nothing one sees on a stage is the real thing, and some things are less real than others. Charlotte is an actress who has been appearing in a play about marriage by her husband, Henry. Max, her leading man, is also married to an actress, Annie. Both marriages are at the point of rupture because Henry and Annie have fallen in love. But is it the real thing?<br><br>In <i>The Real Thing</i>, Tom Stoppard combines his characteristically brilliant wordplay and wit with flashes of insight that illuminate the nature--and the mystery--of love, creating a multi-toned play that challenges the mind while searching out the innermost secrets of the heart.<br></div> 1303401 1982 The Real Thing total:577|5:4|4:9|3:4|2:0|1:0| 577 2277 717 36 4 0 false false Mon Apr 06 13:39:07 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 06 13:46:57 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1999 Fri Feb 15 11:46:21 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 15 12:34:50 -0800 2008
Stoppard uses the play-within-a-play structure to mess around with ideas of reality, honesty, fidelity and love. Characters include a playwright (Henry) and two actresses (Charlotte and Annie). Henry is married to first one, then the other: "To marry one a...more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Wed Jun 13 21:18:45 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 20 17:18:30 -0700 2007
Words don’t deserve that kind of malarkey. They’re innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across i...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Mon Jun 11 17:29:34 -0700 2007 Sat Mar 22 20:06:15 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 0 false false Wed Aug 26 08:06:01 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 26 08:07:52 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon May 21 14:27:42 -0700 2007 Sun Jun 17 15:31:49 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Nov 11 10:16:44 -0800 2007 Mon Mar 09 11:08:51 -0700 2009
To summarize the play, without giving away...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun May 20 08:24:11 -0700 2007 Sun May 20 08:29:10 -0700 2007 Tom Stoppard. "Arcadia" and "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" are much more famous, and I love them too.

Reading plays is a different kind of experience, and offers something new to aspiring wri...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Apr 26 22:43:47 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 26 22:58:05 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Sep 14 12:17:45 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 12:17:45 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Mon Oct 15 07:42:00 -0700 2007 Thu Jun 11 18:57:04 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Wed Jun 20 14:58:56 -0700 2007 Wed Jun 20 15:02:25 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu May 22 16:08:30 -0700 2008 Thu May 22 16:11:05 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Thu Jul 10 13:25:59 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 29 06:38:52 -0700 2008
Stoppard has a gift for the turn of phrase that leaves you with a bit of literary whiplash, looking back over your shoulder thinking "Wait! What the hell just happened?" This book should a...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Tue Jan 29 12:26:20 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 29 12:29:01 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Tue Mar 06 11:55:34 -0800 2007 Tue Mar 06 11:58:38 -0800 2007 3 0 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 05 02:08:30 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 05 02:14:15 -0700 2007 5 0 false false Mon Jun 04 08:54:40 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 31 14:28:54 -0700 2007 5 0 false false Tue Oct 02 23:12:51 -0700 2007 Tue Oct 02 23:21:40 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Sat Jan 26 20:41:36 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 26 21:04:04 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=1198385