Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Twayne's Masterwork Studies #34

by Matthew C. Roudané (Editor)

Describes the background of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and discusses its themes and its critical reception

Genres: Nonfiction

125 pages, ebook

First published December 1, 1989

About the author

Matthew Charles Roudané (1953- ) is Regents’ Professor of English at the Georgia State University. An author of a number of works on American theatre and dramatists, he was the Editor of the South Atlantic Review (1994-2013) and is Advisory Series Editor for Methuen Drama (London). He is a founding member of the Edward Albee Society.

Reviews

[William]

the final part of the play was actually really interesting. nick failed to maintain an erection due to his excessive drinking so he really disappointed Martha. on the other hand honey is seconds away from passing out. it got really intense when George and Martha fought over their fake dead son. the reader is most probably bewildered at that point, wondering what George and Martha said is actually TRUE. definitely a very interesting play to read. made for an excellent way to pass the time on the plane as well.

[JHM · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides an excellent introduction to the historical context of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", both socially and theatrically, an overview of the themes of Albee's works and how "WAOVW" fits into it, and an insightful exploration of the characters and acts of the play.

In one sense the text is very accessible, written in a style and language suitable for the general reader. However, if you are not at least noddingly familiar with the works of Arthur Miller, Ionesco, Tennessee Williams, Eugene O'Neill, Antonin Artaud, and August Strindberg you may find yourself a bit lost, since Roudane frequently references their work to either contrast with Albee or describe their influence on him or on the theater of the late 1950's and early 1960's. I think someone not familiar with those playwrights could still get something of value from the book, but they might find themselves skipping over more than a few pages.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, late-night, self-imposed studying.

[Erin Tuzuner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief forays into the intellectual depths of Albee's masterwork.