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31st out of 319 books
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Spring Awakening
First performed in Germany in 1906, Frank Wedekind's controversial play Spring Awakening closed after one night in New York in 1917 amid charges of obscenity and public outrage. For the better part of the twentieth century Wedekind's intense body of work was largely unpublished and rarely performed. Yet the play's subject matter--teenage desire, suicide, abortion, and homo...more
Paperback, 112 pages
Published
September 4th 2007
by Faber & Faber
(first published 1891)
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An interesting play, that's probably as taboo now as it would have been a hundred years ago. Teen suicide, sadistic and masochistic acts, teen sex, murder, moping, masturbation and depression. On top of all these 'disturbing' elements are some very humorous moments and wonderfully written moments of adult (as in grown-ups, not as a euphenism for dirty) banality and absurdity.
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I expected this to be pretty silly, but it's extraordinary. The third act in particular: the routine between Prof. Hart-Payne and Fetch manages in a single scene to do everything interesting about Endgame, and much besides; the funeral (won't give anything away) is perfectly orchestrated; the ending is really mysterious but seems exactly right.
Nonetheless, the anti-naturalism here (Wedekind grew up in and around vaudeville-type acts and uses all the tricks) shouldn't be over-emphasi...more
Nonetheless, the anti-naturalism here (Wedekind grew up in and around vaudeville-type acts and uses all the tricks) shouldn't be over-emphasi...more
I read this - the original German play from the late 1800's - in anticipation of seeing the fawned-over new musical (which translator Jonathan Franzen is quick to dismiss as "insipid.") Dark, unique and sadly funny - I'd highly recommend this one to theater people, and caution others that it may in fact be too disturbing to be easily digested. My mind was spinning with thoughts of how you would stage the play today, and it was perhaps only this that prevented me from being truly distur...more
A controversial play published in 1891, not performed until 1906, and adpated into a musical in 2006, Spring's Awakening is the story of children facing the beginning of adolescence within the repressed culture of 1892 Germany. This edition, translated and edited by Bentley, contains a number of mini-essays by the editor on everything from the play's timeline to some of its key themes. This commentary is interesting if artless (and, combined with the sprinkling of typos, begs for an editor), pro...more
German Frank Wedekind's seminal work is wunderbar in the most astounding way. Disturbing, yes. Groundbreaking, yes. Still as disturbing and groundbreaking today as it was when it was published in the late 1800s. The play is a spitting attack on the oppression of teens at the turn of the century, a concentrated and venomous fin de siecle commentary, which was banned asap, and quel surprise Germany, and indeed other countries continued to oppress sex. This is a play that everyone needs to read th...more
Usually, I find reading plays a poor second to seeing them performed, but some plays are simply unplayable. Frank Wedekind’s Spring Awakening (Frühlings Erwachen) comes into that category. Apart from the problem of most of the characters being young teenagers (adults playing children never works), the play needs space and quiet for the audience to think in. There is little of that in a musical or noisy West End show.
Like Ibsen, Wedekind briefly mentions events and then leaves us to f...more
Like Ibsen, Wedekind briefly mentions events and then leaves us to f...more
This is the original, un-censored version of the script. I guess it was pretty controversial back in the day.
I have to say, I don't really see what all the big hot dog is about this script. People talk in paragraphs, not dialogue. I hate that. Have a conversation. People don't normally talk for 3 minutes and then stop and let the other person talk for 3 minutes in response to what they said.
I guess it would be disturbing to watch if you got a bunch of good, actual ...more
I have to say, I don't really see what all the big hot dog is about this script. People talk in paragraphs, not dialogue. I hate that. Have a conversation. People don't normally talk for 3 minutes and then stop and let the other person talk for 3 minutes in response to what they said.
I guess it would be disturbing to watch if you got a bunch of good, actual ...more
Em
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For me, the key to this play is appreciation, especially in its historical context. It should and does remain a literary masterpiece because of its radicalness and exploration of society's taboos. However, maybe it's just because Franzen doesn't cater to my personal literary tastes, but I wasn't particularly stirred by the book. I saw the musical and LOVED it, but it was really the music that affected me so greatly. When I was reading the play, I felt like it was a montage of a series of underde...more
Admittedly, I read this book after watching clips from the musical, downloading the soundtrack and completely falling in love with the music. But the story itself is so haunting, and represents a lot of common issues that are still relevant with children today. Though not so dramatic due to the repression of a lot of sexual education, the actions of the characters are relatable for everyone to some extent, as everyone has had pressure to perform well at school, peer pressure, and pressure from a...more
I read Spring's Awakening after seeing its most recent incarnation as a pop-rock musical co-written by Duncan Sheik at the Kennedy Center. The musical is serious and brooding, taking the angst-ridden guilt of its teenage characters to heart, equal parts Conor Oberst (angsty, brooding) and Britney Spears (delicious pink bubble-gummy sex). How did this happen, especially when Frank Wedekind's original play, despite its dark themes of rape, sado-masochism, homosexuality, physical abuse, botched abo...more
This was the play we read in my social plays class and I really liked it because Ms.Gardner made lots of cool activities. The book/play was very unique in the way that it was exploring all these new things during that time period, which in modern time today is normal. for example was assigned a scene with two school boys, Hanschen and Ernest, who start to explore gay love/sex. usually doing a play like this would feel weird and we would just fool around and not pay attention however this book wa...more
Hahaha. One hell of a crazy play. You've got to love a play written in 1891, in which teenagers in a repressed society kill themselves upon learning the mechanics about sex.
I enjoyed reading this play thoroughly, given that I felt the situation was highly realistic but serves as a warning. This play is a coming-of-age story set in the harsh society of Germany at the end of the 1800’s. The sexually-oppressive and intellectually competitive society in The Awakening of Spring ultimately increases tension, conflict, pressure, and dangerous naivety among the children. This play effectively illustrates the risk involved when withholding knowledge in order to stifle human...more
This play has it all: teenage sex/rape, abortion, masturbation, homosexual acts, suicide, bad grades!!! And it's all the grown-ups' fault!!!
Having read this after watching the musical, it frustrates me even further that the musical version turned the rape scene into a love scene.. (although I'm not really buying the love scene anyway because Wendla had no real understanding of what was going on in both the play and musical). The rest of the changes are minor in comparison, I guess, but there were a lot of them. I do love that the themes of sexuality, education, religion, etc are still prevalent today in the same exact ways they are ...more
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Michael
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
German Students, German teachers, literature students
Recommended to Michael by:
Dr. Steven Fuller
This "children's tragedy" was shocking for its time and not performed uncut for many decades. It deals with issues of teenage sex and suicide that are today commonplace on tv afternoon specials, but points the finger at an older generation that tries to preserve innocence through ignorance of the facts of life, and thereby ruins lives. The young heroine, Wendla, dies from an attempted abortion because her mother tells her that only married women can become pregnant. Young Moritz commit...more
This is by far one of the most influential and moving pieces of literature i have ever read. Now, i will be honest- i saw the musical first. But, in my mind Spring Awakening the musical has it's own slot and Spring's Awakening the play has it's own as well. They are very very very different stories.
The play, despite being from a censored and cruel time in Germany's past, brings up many modern struggles. The tale of teens reaching puberty and discovering these bodies and emotions they...more
The play, despite being from a censored and cruel time in Germany's past, brings up many modern struggles. The tale of teens reaching puberty and discovering these bodies and emotions they...more
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Qi Yin
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Young Adult
Recommended to Qi Yin by:
School
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I decided to read this book based off of my reaction to the musical theatre version of "Spring Awakening." Once I saw the musical on broadway and heard that the book was written in the 1800's by a German author, I knew I wanted to read it. I thought it would be interesting to see how the play compared to the musical so I went to the bookstore and got it. Once I began reading it, I noticed some different characters and also completely different dialogue than in the Broadway show. Here a...more
Wedekind's bizzare play about the lives of children intrigues me more than any play I've read this year. The themes of the consequences of ignorance are so very much ahead of his time that today they still seem taboo. I also appreciate how he incorporated homosexuality into his play. Homosexuality! Imagine that! 1891 and this man was talking about being gay--the character of Hansy, while fleeting in his dialogue, is a powerful force throughout. Overall, I think Wedekind did an excellent job.
This play is mainly about the lifestyle of teenagers during the Victorian era. The teenagers at this time are very curious and adventurous. They want to find the answers to the unknowns in the society including pregnancy and sex.
Therefore,they begins to read books and experiment these topics on their own. Wendla, a fourteen year old girl is very angry because her mother is not allowing her to wear a short dress. When she questions her mother about this issue, she explains to her t...more
Therefore,they begins to read books and experiment these topics on their own. Wendla, a fourteen year old girl is very angry because her mother is not allowing her to wear a short dress. When she questions her mother about this issue, she explains to her t...more
I haven't had the opportunity to see this or its musical counterpart performed, but I have listened to the Broadway soundtrack of Spring Awakening, which is what spurred me to read this. I'm still stunned at how this was written in the 1800s (and at how relevant it remains). Wendla's story was poignant, to say the least. I found the ending a bit strange, but it was a great read, nonetheless.
This book was almost as bad as a Doll's House. The character in this bok were all complete idiots for insance one character wanted one of her friends to beat her, and later got pregnant all because her mom was too stupid to tell her were babies came from. I reccomend this book to anyoe who wants to waste their time and then be disappointed at how their time was wasted.
This is a translation of the German play published in 1891. It was censored and altered until this publication. The subtitle is "Tragedy of Childhood;" it deals with the sexual awakening of young teens in a society in which talk of this is taboo. I was interested in it, having seen the fabulous Tony winning musical based on it.
I wish I'd been to the Broadway production of it, though what the translator of this edition says is true -- perhaps the modern version is much too concerned with leaving out the effect society, mainstream media, etc. have on young people. Great introduction, btw. But anyhow, I appreciated the play for being so racy at the time of publication. I love that Wedekind was hilarious throughout -- especially in the scene with the professors. What I'd heard from my roommate about the Broadway productio...more
this is about teens during the victorian ages of europe and how they are kept away from information like sex. since these children were so ignorant about sex, they had all sorts of problems like how wendla got pregnant not knowing the reason for it, moritz killing himself, and melchior being expelled.
Broadway musical version of this play >>>>>>>> original version, aka this version.
Oh, what good music, scenes moved around, and better character development can do for a story.
I knew the original play was going to be crap next to the musical. And yet I read it anyways. Oh well.
Oh, what good music, scenes moved around, and better character development can do for a story.
I knew the original play was going to be crap next to the musical. And yet I read it anyways. Oh well.
Frank Wedekind is cool, people sure seem to like making musicals out of his plays. Who was supposed to do Lulu? I think it was Schoenberg or Alban Berg. Some atonal guy. Jonathan Franzen is kind of a pill in the introduction. Man, Franzen fucking sucks.
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Benjamin Franklin Wedekind, usually known as Frank Wedekind, was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism, and he was a major influence on the development of epic theatre.
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