The History Boys: A Play by Alan Bennett
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Book Reviews of The History Boys: A Play
Book Review: Boys Will Be Boys (I Guess)
Summary: 3 Stars
Disclaimer: I am reviewing the original script and have never seen the play. I would LOVE to see the play, because at times the script was confusing. For instance, characters who are not in the scene suddenly have lines. And then, just when you think they've entered stage left, you see that they're not there after all, and therefore must have lines upstage left so the audience can hear their thoughts. You can't be sure, however, as Bennett is chary about his stage directions.
Despite all that, the play was fun to read if only for its rich use of literary allusions. It is burgeoning with quotes from A.E. Housman, Thomas Hardy, Philip Larkin, Walt Whitman, and other poets flung far and wide. The literary banter comes chiefly in the presence of the English professor called Hector. Then, so as not to disappoint those attracted by the title, there are numerous scholarly discussions about history (chiefly WWI and WWII). Professor Irwin is the vehicle for much of THIS discussion, and his unique take on how we should view the past is part of what makes this play admirable. So, if you are (or were) the type who loves (or loved) all those late-night intellectual discussions in the college dormitory, you might find wheat among the chaff of this play.
Speaking of, what worked less than the sterling intellectual wordplay (and idea play, if you will) was the soap opera aspect. Hector, for instance, has a penchant for more than just educating boys and he comes off as more pitiable than pitiful. Irwin, too, though much more respectable, gets sucked in to the melodrama by, of all characters, the most handsome blade among the boys (Dakin, who was last seen seducing the headmaster's secretary before he decided to proposition his professor). It all pushes the envelope and gets a bit unbelievable, at least in written form, as the characters act and speak in ways that do not follow character OR seem to change without sufficient time elapsed to make the behavior reasonable. The beneficiary of all this is the female professor, Mrs. Lintott, who alone comes off as intelligent, reasonable, and clear-thinkingly free of that pesky testosterone. Bottom line: I liked the play but had trouble suspending my disbelief to accommodate all of the sexual intrigue.
Book Review: A good play, but frustrating reading
Summary: 3 Stars
I picked up "The History Boys" because I missed out on seeing it performed on Broadway, so the book version seemed like the next best thing to tide me over until I could catch the movie later this year. Perhaps I should have waited, because "The History Boys" doesn't sparkle in page form. Virtually all stage direction has been left out, making it frustrating to figure out what action is going on, who is on stage, and, at times, when and where scenes are taking place. Some of the dialogue seems confessional -- as though it is being directed at the audience, but without any stage direction or having seen the play it is impossible for me to tell. I'm sure that it all comes together when performed, so I would recommend to anyone who (like me) wasn't able to see the play that they wait for the movie first. The way the play has been formatted here makes it difficult for anyone who hasn't already been enchanted. I am still looking forward to the film adaptation because I can see that the material is good; I just think that it needs to be experienced as it was originally intended -- in performance.Book Review: Enjoyable, But Not History-Making
Summary: 3 Stars
A witty and entertaining play, marred by straw villains, political correctness, and too great an indulgence for man-boy love. It won't last (none of Bennett's plays will last) but for the most part it passes the time agreeably.