Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Balcony (Faber Library)
by
Jean Genet
“The Balcony is probably the most stunning subversive work of literature to be created since the writings of the famous Marquis.... A major dramatic achievement.” –– Robert Brustein, The New Republic
Hardcover, 112 pages
Published
December 1st 1997
by Faber and Faber
(first published 1956)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,448)
This book is a work of dramatic genius. Genet poses for us the question, "What is the nature of virtue and its relationship with power?" In his setting, he chooses a brothel, with the actors in the brothel trapped in a never-ending cycle of violent fiction that mirrors the events of the revolution happening outside the brothel walls.
The are great, witty lines such as "The pimp has a grin, never a smile." There are great, beautiful lines such as "It's the hour when night breaks away from the day,...more
The are great, witty lines such as "The pimp has a grin, never a smile." There are great, beautiful lines such as "It's the hour when night breaks away from the day,...more
The Balcony by Jean Genet (revised edition, trans. by Bernard Frechtman) (Grove Press 1966)
One of Genet’s plays featuring his trademark sleight-of-hand, where characters become other characters: a “house of pleasure” caters to the theatrically inspired whims of its customers even while the city is under siege by rebel forces. When rumours surface that the real leaders are dead, the customers take on their acquired roles to portray a judge, a bishop and a queen in real life. Genet was inspired to...more
One of Genet’s plays featuring his trademark sleight-of-hand, where characters become other characters: a “house of pleasure” caters to the theatrically inspired whims of its customers even while the city is under siege by rebel forces. When rumours surface that the real leaders are dead, the customers take on their acquired roles to portray a judge, a bishop and a queen in real life. Genet was inspired to...more
Feb 15, 2009
Rachel
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-unowned,
theater-film
This play has much in common with the Artaudian "Theatre of Cruelty" concepts, with its ritualistic, highly staged portrayals of violent sexuality serving to illuminate the larger struggles of the world as a whole. This heightened awareness of the lies of theatricality - the prostitutes of the play are trapped in a life of performance, and their clients are sexually and emotionally satisfied with this; the war is fought with the aid of the Madam, Irma's performance skills; and, of course, the wa...more
Jun 24, 2007
علی
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
modern-plays,
absurd-theatre
محل وقوع واقعه، شهری ست نامعلوم، که در آتش انقلاب می سوزد و انقلابیون خشمگین خیابان ها را انباشته اند. واقعه اما درون صومعه ای (دیری، کلیسایی) نمادی از قدرت در جهانی بزرگ تر، اتفاق می افتد، فضایی بسته و مقدس، در قلب شهری انقلاب زده و آلوده. محور اصلی نمایش نامه، حکایت دو ستیز است؛ میان انقلاب و ضد انقلاب، جنگی فلسفی میان توهم و واقعیت. با وارد شدن رییس پلیس، شانتال، یکی از فاحشه ها صومعه را ترک می کند تا به روح انقلاب بپیوندد. خبر می رسد که ارکان جامعه، از جمله قاضی القضات، اسقف، ژنرال و غیره، د...more
This is a weird, weird play. In a funny sort of way it reminded me of an anti- version of Lysistrata in its treatment of gender, sexuality and power. I'm afraid I couldn't really engage with it though, and to be honest I found the whole brothel acting/reality metaphor a bit obvious. But I'm no drama critic, so it's probable many of the work's subtleties passed me by...
This was one of my favorite things about my very brief journey into the CSUS English department. An Absurdist view of political morality and simultaneously a meditation on the possibility of authority co-existing with virtue (spoiler alert: they can't)
Another one where I wanted to like it, as I like the concept, but he's just an incredibly turgid writer. I don't think it's a question of translation, either.
Feb 09, 2008
tENTATIVELY, cONVENIENCE
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
plays
Genet, ever the expert observor of social relations as determined by power roles, takes a look at them here in the context of a brothel where people can enact their sexual fantasies by donning the garb of a bishop or a general, etc. Meanwhile, outside the brothel, a rebellion rages. Genet manages to concentrate many levels of reality here & many levels of disatisfaction. Like everything Genet ever wrote, this is great. Maybe I hold back from giving it a 5 star rating just so I can contrast i...more
Though long winded, this play is infamous for a reason. Provocative and thought provoking, Jean Genet makes you sit back and wonder where appearances and "parts we play" in life come to fruition. ITs not just "The balcony" where these characters live and breathe but in our own lives as we also put on appearances. We are just as guilty of creating "characters" as we interact with different people.
Though the subject matter is provoking I still couldn't catch a vision for it. A great play is marke...more
Though the subject matter is provoking I still couldn't catch a vision for it. A great play is marke...more
Dec 12, 2012
Stoic
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Students of history and criminal justice
Shelves:
drama
A strange little satirical triptych, in its three-act version. The man knows his evil...
genet's great society point of view
Always makes me want to scream with recognition.
Simply legendary
on page 26
rad.
Genet creates a bizarre, yet intriguing world of illusion, notables, and whores, in which one is always questioning what is real.
I read this while I was studying in paris, for a course on Genet and Heinrich Muller. my final paper was an examination of the theoretical commonalities between this play and foucault's "surveiller et punir." also saw a brilliant performance of it at the Athenée theater. just brilliant. there's so much here -- I think there is a good translation available. if not, let's get to work on that shit!
Mar 12, 2007
Corinne Wahlberg
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who love french literature
Shelves:
plays
I read "The Maids" a while back and was more impressed by this lesser-known work from Genet. I adore Genet. Maybe because he's French. Maybe because his plays are about sex and power and violence ("these are a few of my favorite things"). In any case, it's worth my time to finish off both my degrees with this fabulous little play and it's worth your time to read it.
Jul 22, 2008
Susan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who like mirrors, disguises, plays, lies, brothels, and revolutions
I found this play by accident, but strangely it is perfect for me, and uses most of the themes that I gravitate toward in art. I wish I could see this performed live (or even the movie) though because I always find it very hard to read plays and judge them. The ending monologue by Irma is now one of my favorites.
my favorite play to read and re-read, since I always catch something i missed within genet's rich symbolism. and okay, okay...its got kinky sex in it!
Feb 12, 2009
Scroutch
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Dominatrixes and Leather Daddies
Shelves:
drama
One of those plays that you definitely need to see staged to appreciate. As a text, I found it uninteresting.
A neat exploration of icons and public figures and the people behind them. It would be neat to see staged.
This play was a toughie--
rotten with genius
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Jean Genet was a prominent, controversial French writer and later political activist. Early in his life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but later took to writing novels, plays, poems, and essays, including Querelle de Brest, The Thief's Journal, Our Lady of the Flowers, The Balcony, The Blacks and The Maids.
More about Jean Genet...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“The pimp has a grin, never a smile.”
—
5 people liked it
“One can hear all that's going on in the street. Which means that from the street one can hear what's going on in this house.”
—
4 people liked it
More quotes…
