By: Alan Bennett Publisher: Faber & Faber Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Faber & Faber Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 144 Publication Date: April 04, 2006 Release Date: April 04, 2006
“A play of depth as well as dazzle, intensely moving as well as thought-provoking and funny.” —The Daily Telegraph
An unruly bunch of bright, funny sixth-form (or senior) boys in a British boys’ school are, as such boys will be, in pursuit of sex, sport, and a place at a good university, generally in that order. In all their efforts, they are helped and hindered, enlightened and bemused, by a maverick English teacher who seeks to broaden their horizons in sometimes undefined ways, and a young history teacher who questions the methods, as well as the aim, of their schooling. In The History Boys, Alan Bennett evokes the special period and place that the sixth form represents in an English boy’s life. In doing so, he raises—with gentle wit and pitch-perfect command of character—not only universal questions about the nature of history and how it is taught but also questions about the purpose of education today.
Terrific Story This is a great story to read for anyone who had teachers that challenged them to think differently. It makes the reader think about the role education should play.
The Boys of History The award-winning play by Alan Bennett is a great read. More devoted to the influence of words (the "dictionary" boy role of Posner) and music than the later screenplay, the play emphasizes the differing perspectives on education of the two lead teachers (Hector and Irwin). Without the need to "open up" demanded by film Bennett focuses on the schoolroom and uses subtle effects to effect his dramatic purpose. In doing so he is successful in creating a delightful dramatic and comedic portrayal of ideas, all while evoking the spirit of bright young scholars at a key turning point in their lives.
Alan Bennett's Best Play A very entertaining play, with solid characters & plenty of humor. Read it, you'll like it!
The History Boys Has more than a passing ressemblance to Michael Campbell's Lord Dismiss Us (Chigago University Press 1967). It is equally as funny. For once, the play and DVD does not ignore what is in fact every schoolboy's favourite pastime.
Boys Will Be Boys (I Guess) 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.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
