The Happy Journey (A Play): U.s.a. Edition

by Thornton Wilder

A father, mother and two of their three surviving children drive from Newark, New Jersey to Camden to visit their married daughter, who has recently lost her baby in childbirth. Their journey is punctuated by talk, laughter, memories (some mundane, some happy, some painful), and appreciation of the Now - ham and eggs, flowers, family, sunsets and the joy of being alive. In this family drama, nothing much happens-and yet everything important happens. As Ma Kirby says, "There's nothin' like bein' liked by your family."

Genres: Plays, Drama

28 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1930

About the author

Thornton Niven Wilder was an American playwright and novelist. He received three Pulitzer Prizes, one for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and two for his plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and a National Book Award for his novel The Eighth Day.

For more see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton...

Reviews

[John Dishwasher John Dishwasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slice of Americana that comes off somewhat saccharine. Lots of ‘Mas’ and ‘Pas’ and commentary on billboard advertisements, some hotdogs, and even the singing of a cliche folk song. Then some characters suddenly burst into tears over nothing. Then at the end you see why they burst into tears. Then you understand why it was all maybe a little saccharine.

[Fo · Rating 2 out of 5]

نمایشنامه کوتاه در مورد یک خانواده کلاسیک آمریکایی، البته آمریکای قدیم

[Zohreh Hanifeh · Rating 2 out of 5]

نمی‌دونم کتاب چرا انگار نصفه بود. یعنی نه یه جوری که بگی پایانش بازه، وسط جمله تموم شد انگار اشتباه چاپ باشه یا همچین چیزی.

[بسام عبد العزيز · Rating 1 out of 5]

عائلة تقوم بالاستعداد للذهاب في رحلة..
المسرحية قصيرة.. فصل واحد فقط.. لكن لم يكن بها ما يستحق الحديث عنه..
كل ما تجده في المسرحية هو حديث عابر من قبيل ..لنرتد ملابسنا.. لنأكل.. لنذهب.. سنتأخر.. إلخ إلخ..

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

A family takes a car journey to visit another family member a few towns away. Doesn't seem like much, but it is a simple celebration of life and family in the midst of the mundane and the painful. Wilder is the master of presenting simple people with simple lives as fascinating and worthy of our attention as other playwrights do with extraordinary characters in extraordinary circumstances.

[Mae Waldron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of simple speech and a lot of movement. The family dynamic is very prevalent. Subtext and the power behind that and also what is not said is VERY relevant to this piece and to the fundamentals of getting a deeper meaning from it. Everyday life and the importance and unimportance of each interaction. Life means so much and so very little all at the same time, and that is staggering.

[جابر طاحون · Rating 1 out of 5]

ثورتون وايلد ، مسرحي و روائي أمريكي ، حصل علي بوليترز ثلاث مرات ، و ده سبب إني أقرأ المسرحية ، لكنها لم تعجبني نهائيًا

[Christy Tisnawijaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ma Kirby supresses her sadness in losing her going to be granddaughter/grandson by getting angry at her son who teases her as a God believer.

[Mark NP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange little one act. The playwright attempts to elevate the ordinary and succeeds. Got it for the NJ references.