Eurydice

by Jean Anouilh

"Dans son registre, Jean Anouilh a montré un talent exceptionnel, une maîtrise remarquable du dialogue, des situations et des personnages, une virtuosité et une acuité qui font de lui l'un des plus éminents auteurs du siècle." Philippe Tesson.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Classics, Theatre, School, Mythology, French Literature

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Jean Anouilh was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades, producing works that ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, though he is best remembered for his 1944 production of Sophocles’ Antigone, which, despite passing censorship, was widely interpreted as a critique of the Vichy regime. Born to a tailor father and a violinist mother, Anouilh absorbed the theatre from an early age, attending rehearsals and reading scripts, and began writing plays at twelve. The family moved to Paris, where he attended the Lycée Chaptal and briefly studied law at the Sorbonne before leaving to work in advertising. Early in his career he wrote comic scenes for cinema and worked as secretary to director Louis Jouvet, whose mentorship and the influence of playwright Jean Giraudoux inspired Anouilh to pursue theatre seriously. He debuted with collaborative and solo plays such as Humulus le muet, L’Hermine, and Mandarine, which, though not commercially successful, led to greater recognition with Le voyageur sans bagage in 1937. Anouilh developed distinct categories for his plays, including pièces noires, or tragedies like Antigone, exploring moral integrity against compromise; pièces roses, comedic works emphasizing fantasy and freedom; pièces brillantes, witty plays set in aristocratic environments; pièces grinçantes, darker, ironic comedies; and pièces costumées, historical dramas such as The Lark and Becket, highlighting protagonists pursuing moral paths amidst corruption. His later works, often called pièces secrètes, focused on dramatists and theatre professionals, emphasizing family and intimate relationships over conventional theatrical action. Politically, Anouilh remained largely apolitical, serving in the French Army and living under German occupation, his plays often interpreted as ambivalent reflections on resistance and pragmatism. Critically, he was recognized for blending lyrical language, precise dialogue, and structured plots, producing a prolific output for over fifty years, and winning accolades including the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca, consideration for the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature, and the inaugural Grand Prix du Théâtre de l'Académie française. His works continued to be performed internationally, balancing existential concerns, moral dilemmas, and humor, reflecting a nuanced perspective on human nature. By the end of his career, he had influenced French theatre deeply, navigating between realism, comedy, and tragedy, and remained a vital figure in twentieth-century drama until his death, leaving a legacy of plays that explore the tension between idealism and compromise, the demands of conscience, and the pursuit of integrity in a flawed world.

Reviews

[Reza · Rating 5 out of 5]

ژان آنوی باور داره نگاه آخر اورفئوس به اوریدیس موجب از دست دادن شانس اوریدیس از زندگی دوباره نمیشه، بلکه موهبت مرگ رو بهش هدیه می‌ده. این شاید بزرگ‌ترین لطفی بود که اورفئوس می‌تونست در حق اوریدیس انجام بده.

[paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh

[hannah schwirtz · Rating 2 out of 5]

boff

[Elena D'Alicarnasso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sono perplessa, non ho capito qual è il fine di questa trasposizione e il messaggio, ma è stata una lettura piacevole e ha delle frasi-perle all’interno.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

trop drôleuuu, j'adoreuu

[stasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

j’ai adoré la mise en scène de cette réécriture

Le mythe est placé dans une époque très contemporaine avec une ambiance très lourde et légère à la fois.
J'ai adoré comment ont été réécrit les protagonistes! J'ai adoré la proposition de mise en scène!

Une vraie merveille que nous a fait Anouilh (comme habituellement j'ai envie de dire). Je trouve ce mythe divinement bien réécrit.

[Ngan Ha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mouais...

[Zhenia Magarill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Прочитала эту пьесу перед походом на спектакль "Не смотри назад" в Гешере.
Очень правильно сделала, как оказалось, если б не прочитала, мне было бы не так все понятно в спектакле, и я бы, наверное меньше бы его оценила.
Такая современная импровизация на тему известного греческого мифа. Довольно занятно, о том, что бывает если не получается отпустить прошлое.

[Divorcelawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anouilh’s mysticism & understanding of myths, seen here & in Becket, is truly something else.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange setting for this myth but it was entertaining. Love that they also mentions Greta Garbo just like that.

[Olívia · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a cheap ending. (I’m sorry Jean Anouilh I don’t mean it I still love you)

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. good moments but kinda flat

[Parichehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

زیبا و غم انگیز است

[Pau · Rating 4 out of 5]

encore une fois plus que charmée par la pièce de Anouilh, j'ai tellement apprécié la lecture.
c'est fluide, entraînant et beau, que demander de plus?

[Ζώρζη Κασίμη · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Eliza Abendroth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very strange setting for this story but I kind of enjoyed it.