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72nd out of 447 books
—
509 voters
The Children's Hour
One of the great successes of this distinguished writer. A serious adult play about two women who run a school for girls. A malicious youngster, trying to protect herself, starts an entirely unfounded rumor about the two women. When the young girl sees the rumor turn to scandal, she understands the power she wields and sticks by her story, which eventually precipitates tra...more
Paperback, 75 pages
Published
1953
by Dramatists Play Service
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Lillian Hellman's great play "A Children's Hour" is the story of two women who run a private school for girls and whose lives are ruined by the evil and vindictive accusations of one of their students. The implications of lesbianism and society's intolerance for differences are among the many themes addressed in this fine work. I believe it is timeless but others may see it as dated. Guilt by accusation remains as much a part of our society as ever...sadly. The inference that homosexuality is eq...more
Summary: Martha and Karen are best friends running a school for girls in the early thirties. They have a very close relationship, and their extremely manipulative pupil, Mary, decides to play with this well known fact and start a rumor that they are intimately involved. This rumor starts total uproar as their lives, as they once knew them, are destroyed through prejudice and the power of gossip.
Why it was meaningful: This is an incredibly well written play, absolutely incredible. It blows my mi...more
Why it was meaningful: This is an incredibly well written play, absolutely incredible. It blows my mi...more
This text seems to have grown on me since I saw a community theatre production a few years back. I didn't like The Little Foxes at all, as it seemed to be nothing but a bunch of nasty people doing nasty things to each other, but either I've grown to appreciate Hellman's style, or this play is more meaningful.
A little girl slanders her teachers to get out of trouble -- tells her grandmother they've been carrying on a lesbian relationship at the boarding school. The statement ruins them, and the s...more
A little girl slanders her teachers to get out of trouble -- tells her grandmother they've been carrying on a lesbian relationship at the boarding school. The statement ruins them, and the s...more
This is a powerful play that really confirms to me that more things change, the more things stay the same! As a result of Banned Books Weeks, I was reviewing the lists of banned/censored books/plays/poems and Lillian Helman's "The Children's Hour" caught my attention. The original play was written in 1934 and subsequently banned in Boston, Chicago and London for "hints of homosexuality." It's the story of how two women, best friends since childhood, have established a lovely and successful board...more
I've seen the film version from the thirties, "These Three" and the sixties film "The Children's Hour" and I was entertained with both. Having seen those films has led me to read this play, which I find is still quite relevant in society today. We often are told lies that prejudice our views of others, and this play shows how destructive a lie can be. It reminded me of Shanley's "Doubt" in away. Especially the scene where Father Flynn while giving mass speaks of how truly destructive gossip can...more
This play has really stood the test of time to become one of the most horrifying and saddening plays ever written. Readers need to understand that the play is less about lesbianism and more about a specific lie. Maybe Hellman did consider lesbianism just a plot device. But "unnatural" love and society's disapproval of it are fundamental to the play, just as anti-Semitism is central to The Merchant of Venice. Readers still argue over whether Shakespeare was criticizing or endorsing the prejudice...more
Compelling. This play is largely character driven and driven by an event caused by a large and dangerous shortcoming or one character. This character lies. The personalities of the characters are prevalent very early on. Hints are given about the characters and the state of their constitution from the very start of the play. The smallest events seem to add to the big picture of who each character is, so by the end of the first act, the reader knows exactly who each character is, the way they thi...more
I remember being floored by this play when I first read it in high school, not the least reason being we were assigned to read a play with a lesbian theme in a Catholic school! I would say that this is similar to "The Crucible" with a lesbian relationship substituting for witchcraft--except Hellman's play was written 18 years before Miller's. Ultimately it's about the devastating effects of malicious gossip.
I read online that Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss (from 'Mad Men') starred in a Lond...more
I read online that Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss (from 'Mad Men') starred in a Lond...more
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OH. MY. GOODNESS. This play will literally make you want to reach into the pages and strangle this little girl. SO EVIL, and without any creepy I-can-make-my-head-rotate-360-degrees kind of thing. I read this in my 20th Century Women's Lit class, and the crazy thing was, other people in the class somehow thought the grandmother or someone else was to blame for what happened. AREYOUKIDDINGMEIT'SSOTHEEVILLITTLEGIRL. Read it and you'll agree with me.
You must agree with me.
Part of why I like it, t...more
Part of why I like it, t...more
The Children's Hour single handedly made me a Lillian Hellman fan. The story is of two women who run a boarding school for girls in the 1930s. When a rumor is spread that the headmistresses are having a lesbian affair, the school changes from being their dream to their nightmare. While the rumor is a lie, Hellman explores the impact of a lie and the ripples that it causes. No one is left unscathed in this beautifully written play. Friendships and relationships are tested when both women go to co...more
THE CHILDREN’S HOUR. (1934). Lillian Hellman. ****.
Hellman (1905-1984) burst on to the Broadway scene with this, her first play. It was extremely popular, running for over two years. The draw was in its taboo subject: lesbianism. Most of the action occurs in the Wright-Dobie School for Girls in the small town of Lancet. It is a relatively new business run by two young women who have been working hard to make it a success. They are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel after years of scr...more
Hellman (1905-1984) burst on to the Broadway scene with this, her first play. It was extremely popular, running for over two years. The draw was in its taboo subject: lesbianism. Most of the action occurs in the Wright-Dobie School for Girls in the small town of Lancet. It is a relatively new business run by two young women who have been working hard to make it a success. They are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel after years of scr...more
I have long been a fan of the movie The Children's Hour, starring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley Maclaine, and someone had given me a copy of the play by Lillian Hellman some time ago, so when a page-to-screen challenge came up in one of my groups, I decided to read it, buy the movie, and watch it. Despite the innocent-sounding title, this is a very adult story, involving the destruction of several characters' lives by an untrue story told by a malicious little girl. Karen and Martha have establishe...more
When I took part in a production of this play in december, 2010, we discussed thoroughly the power of a lie. A lie told convincingly has the power to alter the opinions one holds of another. But an expertly crafted lie can also cause the victim to doubt themselves:"Why is it that so many people are so willing to believe this lie? Is there some truth within this lie?" A challenging play I was proud to take part in, even if I was only in the first scene).
very good, but also somewhat predictable. at the time this work was groundbreaking i'm sure because of its subject of homosexuality. it still stands up today, but with today's openess on the subject, most readers have already come across this story or something similar many times. the central subjects of the play (as i see it) "truth", "sensation" and "character" are what keep it alive today. what is truth? why are we more apt to believe a more sensational story even if those accused have a soli...more
Read for my acting class. Still releveant though written many years ago. A student destroys her teacher's lives by making a false accusation. Every teacher's fear. One really great speech about a life changed and unable to return to normal.
Blah blah blah. Everything in this feels like it happened in a vacuum. Tired of stuffy white American plays from the 30s, even those by young women writing about schoolgirls and risque sexual ideas. I felt suffocated by this. Blah.
A great, great play. The play showcases the haunting and devastating effects that hearsay and rumors can have on one's life, career, and relationships. Its a brutal play with a brutal ending but one that can resonate in any time period.
I first saw this movie when i was in high school. Recently at a library book sale i found a copy, old with yellow and almost crumbling pages. I had to have it. And loved it just as much as i did then. A very honest and heartbreaking story.
So ahead of its time. The characters are so well crafted, they make you feel the exact emotions you were meant to. At the end of the day you are mourning Martha, feeling great pity for Karen, and hate everyone else.
Rumor has it...... Classic story of what can happen when a lie and a rumor gets out of hand. I kept hoping that an adult would see past the lies of a spoiled little girl.
An American classic, and regardless of it's original production date still a relevant play about prejudice and public scandal, and the importance of understanding truth.
I'll be very interested to see this play live.
I'll be very interested to see this play live.
Dec 17, 2011
Mia
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Shelves:
stage-play,
period,
fiction,
lgbt,
unrequited-love,
tv-movie-link,
corruption,
grief-depression
Even though I felt the dialog was stiff and unrealistic, I still enjoyed reading this play. I thought the premise was attention holding, and the action was well paced.
Wonderfully evil, and so much better, I believe, than Miller's play, The Crucible on the same theme. The movie version of Heller's play has held up well.
Another book about the consequences of gossip and false accusations with an ending that leaves you thinking, very pertinent to our times.
I was underwhelmed by the "evil child" storyline. For the era, it was probably shocking, but it's not anymore.
The characters are very compelling and while I was horribly sad after I finished, it was a great play.
First produced 1934, Maxine Elliot's Theater, NYC. My grandfather, Robert Keith as Dr. Joseph Cardin.
sad, maddening, entertaining, partly funny and pretty short
I did the props for an amateur dramatic production of this.
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“I'm too old to recover, too narrow to forgive myself.”
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Feb 08, 2010 08:37am