Pygmalion

Resumen del libro

Ever since Pygmalion opened in London in April 1914 it has proved a very controversial play, from the (then) shocking language, to arguments about its correct ending. Critical interpretations have been similarly disputatious, encompassing views of the transformation of the impoverished Eliza Doolittle by phonetics expert Henry Higgins as either a story of economic and social liberation, or an example of the perpetuation of male control and self-interest. With subsequent film and musical adaptations and many stage revivals, Pygmalion remains one of Shaw's most engaging, provocative, and accessible plays.

This new edition of Pygmalion includes Shaw's definitive text, with both Preface and Sequel, and provides the most comprehensive scholarly treatment of the play to date, containing:


A substantial introduction with biographical information on Shaw
Detailed discussion of the genesis and sources of the play
Varying interpretations and a lengthy international stage history
Textual notes on each page explaining language, allusions, and staging
Appendices with Shaw's discarded scenes for the play, the British Censor's 1914 report, and texts of all stage and film endings of Pygmalion

Biografía del autor

(Dublín, 1856 - Ayot St. Lawrence, 1950) fue un polémico escritor irlandés, que cuestionó de forma radical los conceptos morales de su época. Su capacidad para la sátira le convirtió en el dramaturgo más influyente de su época, premiado en 1925 con el Premio Nobel de Literatura y el 1938 con el Óscar al mejor guion adaptado por "My Fair Lady", versión cinematográfica de su comedia "Pigmalión" (1912). Airado polemista, golpeó duramente las superstición inherente a las religiones y rechazó todos los galardones y honores público para los que fue propuesto por los gobiernos británicos.