Mark Steyn: Death of a salesman

The Spectator (U.K.) ^ | 02/19/05 | Mark Steyn

[Lancey Howard]

I just want to know why people read stuff like Death of a Salesman.

Because there is a book report due and the Golden Key Classic comic book version is tough to find.

[rcocean]

True tragedy is uplifting and is not a downer.

Very little of today's "art" is classical tragedy. Its mostly just cynicism or sentiment masquerading as profundity.

I'm like you, if the movie is negative, it has to be very, very, good for me to go see it.

[LibKill]

I just want to know why people read stuff like Death of a Salesman.

Because their english teacher makes it a requirement.

That was easy. now for my next trick........

[veronica]

As I posted here when Miller died, I think he was overrated. We've produced better playwrights, Eugene O'Neill and Tennessee Williams among them. And both were more prolific than Miller, in terms of number of great works of art (as opposed to writing lots of bad plays.)

As for plays about broken dreams or pipe dreams, I far prefer The Glass Menagerie or The Iceman Cometh to Death of a Salesman.

[rcocean]

A women after my own heart, I agree completely. Miller always reminds me of Norman Mailer, overrated, lacking the ability to create likable or even believable characters.

The problem with Death of a Salesman is you need a great sympathetic actor to make the thing work because Willie Loman, as Steyn, states is not a likable or interesting man.

The worse the writing the more you need good acting and direction to paper over the cracks.

[knighthawk]

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