First published in 1977, the third edition of Pinter is an excellent analysis of Harold Pinter and his works. Written when Pinter was only a few plays old, the book draws on several sources, including interviews with Pinter himself, to comment on Pinter’s career, his aesthetic and philosophical choices, and his oeuvre as a writer. The section devoted to his individual plays has been arranged in a chronological manner to visually represent the growth of the playwright and the relationship shared between his early and later works. Esslin, known for coining the term ‘theatre of the absurd,’ was himself an inspiration to Pinter and hence, the book records an intellectual and creative exchange between the author and his subject. The book will be of interest to students of literature, drama, history as well as to an academically inclined theatre audience.
Illustrations Introduction Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the Expanded Edition 1. Chronology of a Career 2. Background and Basic Premises 3. Analysis 4. Language and Silence 5. Evaluation Bibliography Index
Biography
Martin Esslin
'Pinter: A Study of His Plays holds its place as the most straightforwardly useful account of Pinter's work to date.' Times Literary Supplement
'It will certainly not be the last book on Pinter, but seems bound to remain one of the best.' John Russell Taylor
