Blithe Spirit, Hay Fever, Private Lives: Three Plays

Customer Reviews:

Three Brilliants By The Great English Wit.......2002-05-30

Noel Coward's talent for spinning gossamer plots into rapier-sharp comedy assures his reputation in theatre, and his comedies have such timeless appeal that they remain staples of both English and American theatre. This volume collects three of his most memorable scripts: the fantasy BLITHE SPIRIT, the farce HAY FEVER, and the razor-wicked PRIVATE LIVES.

Of the three, BLITHE SPIRIT and PRIVATE LIVES are best known to the general public through various film versions and frequent revivals. BLITHE SPIRIT concerns a novelist who invites a medium to give a seance that he might learn tricks of the trade for the book he is writing--but the medium is no fake, and she unintentionally summons up the ghost of his first wife, who promptly moves in and makes his second wife's life a living hell. PRIVATE LIVES offers the story of a divorced couple who unexpectedly meet while honeymooning with their new spouses--whom they quickly abandon in order to resume their torrid passion for each other. Trouble is, although they love each other desperately, their personalities are about as compatible as two scorpions in a bottle. HAY FEVER, one of Coward's earliest successes, presents the story of visitors to an eccentric family who are very nearly driven mad before they are able to escape.

Coward was reknowned for his sophistocated and often acid turn of phrase, and all three of these plays contain enough outrageous situations and sharp-tongued lines to make even the worst sourpuss laugh loud enough to annoy the neighbors. Although those unused to reading playscripts may find HAY FEVER a bit hard to grasp, both BLITHE SPIRIT and PRIVATE LIVES read extremely, extremely well--so much so that you're likely to find yourself acting them out as you read! Wonderful fun, and strongly, strongly recommended.

Impressive.......2001-07-02

I recieved my summer reading list for Honors English a few weeks ago, and under the section that held a list of three play titles to choose from, I came across Blithe Spirit. Having never heard of Noel Coward, or anything of the other two plays in this book (Hay Fever, and Private Lives) I decided to give the book a chance and I am pleased that I did. I am not a huge fan of reading plays, but after I read Blithe Spirit, I felt that I just had to keep going and read the other two. After reading this book, it is now very obvious to me that Noel Coward was a man with extreme talent, and an awful witty sense of humor. While reading these plays you come across some really interesting situations, and characters, and I guarentee that you will be smiling throughout the whole thing.

The only serious challenge to Feydeau in English.......1999-12-19

Noel Coward's _Hay Fever_, Evelyn Waugh's _Handful of Dust_, and Kingsley Amis's _Lucky Jim_ are, for my money, the three funniest things written in English in the 20th century. I was a drama critic for nearly 12 years, saw hundreds of productions of all kinds from coast to coast in the US and a few in London, and never laughed harder or enjoyed myself more than at a regional US production of "Hay Fever" in the late 1970's. Do it again! Do it again!

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Not my favorite book by Jeff Noon
Good, but, it's a little long winded
Great read for the first 200 pages
A Rational Vurt
Pollen: Jeff Noon's Idea Farm

Pollen
Jeff Noon
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517599902
Release Date: 1996-01-16

Amazon.com

If you like challenging science fiction, then Jeff Noon is the author for you.

Pollen is the sequel to Vurt (winner of the 1994 Arthur C. Clarke award), and both are concerned with a world in which dreams, drug-induced hallucination, and reality become completely intermingled. In this volume, the dream world unleashes a pollen that threatens to cause people in the real world to sneeze to death.

But no review can do Noon's writing justice: it's a phantasmagoric combination of the more imaginative science fiction masters, such as Phillip K. Dick, genres such as cyberpunk and pulp fiction, and drug culture.

If you would like a more accessible approach to Jeff Noon's richly imagined world, I recommend Automated Alice, a modern recasting of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

Book Description

The bestselling author of Vurt spins another audaciously inventive tales of reality gone soft and dreams become real. As an enormous cloud of pollen descends upon a city, people begin to literally sneeze themselves to death. When a cop, one of the few who is immune, sets out to find the source of the plague, what she discovers will forever alter the ancient relationship between people and the myths they create to make sense of the world.

Customer Reviews:

Not my favorite book by Jeff Noon.......2005-01-15

This is the third Jeff Noon book I've read, the others Vurt and Nymphomation both taking place before this one. While I enjoyed the vivid writing style of the book and the expansion on the shadow theme from Vurt I was let down by the characters which didn't feel as fleshed out as in the prior books. The character of Boda, in particular, which is an enigmatic ball of love and hate, really showing the most emotion of any character in the book, never has the reasons behind her emotions revealed. The mystery behind her character was the main thread that grabbed my interest through the beginning of the book and the lack of resolution of that mystery left me dissatisfied. This isn't meant to discourage any potential readers as overall the story is well paced and immensely imaginative. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Vurt but urge anyone who hasn't read any of Jeff Noon's work to start with Vurt or Nymphomation first as a good deal of the background as well as some minor characters draw from these books and benefit from some prior exposure.

Good, but, it's a little long winded.......2004-11-29

First of all, I have to say that Jeff Noon is always worth reading. He writes with great style and displays a truly unique imagination. Pollen is definitely worth checking out, but, as other reviewers already stated, I feel it does drag on a bit long. One thing is for sure...this really isn't a Vurt part 2... and I applaud Noon for that. I like the fact that he writes from such a different perspective on the Vurt world. For those not familiar with Jeff Noon, I would recommend checking out Vurt first... not because you really need it for the plot of Pollen, but, because you might get a better introduction to some of the going ons with the feathers and all that.

Great read for the first 200 pages.......2002-11-19

This book was great in the first 200 pages, but it is a 300 some odd page book. It started out fast paced and addicting just like Vurt and kept that way for more then half the book, but for the end sequence it just didnt get me like vurt did. I really did enjoy this book i just wish Noon would have ended it sooner and didnt drag it on the way he did. Still a great book and i recomend it highly just because Noon is an amazing writer and it is worth reading just to see his words leap off the page and swim in your mind.

A Rational Vurt.......2002-10-14

This is absolutely one of my top 10 books, a much more thought out Vurt, but with the same vivid style. This all follows in the path of Giles Goat Boy and Gravity's Rainbow.

Pollen: Jeff Noon's Idea Farm.......2001-04-14

Jeff Noon's Pollen is an idea farm waiting for harvest. It begins with the energy and promise of Vurt, but never commits to the story it started. It progresses by layering every possible scenario up to the last minute, cramming ideas into the final third that are never explored to their potential. Jeff Noon writes his books on a continuum, each referencing the others and the author in a witty entanglement. Unfortunately, at times, Noon's style of weaving references convolutes and denies the story it's climax. Pollen is a fair read and full of interesting ideas each awaiting its own novel. For now, Noon's other books execute his ideas more aptly. Still, a wild, fun read and for Jeff Noon fans a necessary, sometimes tedious one.

What's in the Air?: The Complete Guide to Seasonal and Year-Round Airborne Allergies

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An Accesible Gudie to Understanding and Relieving Allergies
Excellent

What's in the Air?: The Complete Guide to Seasonal and Year-Round Airborne Allergies
Gillian Shepherd , and Marian Betancourt
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743442172

Customer Reviews:

An Accesible Gudie to Understanding and Relieving Allergies.......2003-12-02

This is a great and affordable guide to understanding seasonal and airborne allergies, and what can be done to reduce symptoms both through changing elements of your environment as well as medications. 40 million Americans suffer from allergies, and though there is no cure (yet) there are a lot of things you can do to reduce or even eliminate symptoms.

This book includes a table of contents and index, so it's great for reference. It begins with a clear explanation of what causes allergies. I found it informative, for instance, that taking allergy medicine after symptoms have started doesn't do much, you have to take medication before you start getting that stuffy nose and itchy eyes.

Also included are lists of grasses, trees and weeds that produce pollens, and the regions they're found in. There are some allergens that are so similar to others that the body mistakes them for the thing you're allergic to and reacts, so you should avoid certain fruits and vegetables if you happen to be allergic to certain pollens (who knew?)

WHAT'S IN THE AIR? explains pet allergies (did you know a child can develop an allergy to cats just by going to school with someone who has a cat at home?). There's a section for parents on children and allergies, tips for allergies on the job, on airplanes (never use those plane pillows) and abroad. You can have no symptoms on your first visit to a place, and return a year later and have an allergic reaction to local allergens because allergies take time to develop.

There are details of specific drugs and allergy shots, what they do and how effective they are. The part I found most helpful, however, was the information on way to allergy proof your home, including tips on what to look for when buying air filters, humidifiers and vacuum cleaners.

Author Gillian Shepherd is a well-established allergy and immunology specialist, and the co-author, Marian Betancourt, has had a great deal of experience in writing nonfiction in a readable format so this book isn't daunting and technical. It also includes appendices on additional resources and places to buy allergy related products.

Excellent.......2003-01-25

This book gives a wonderful description of what causes alergies and gives thoughtful solutions to the problem. Written in a way non-medical individuals can easily understand, "What's in the Air" is a book anyone with allergies should read.

Noel Coward: Private Lives-Blithe Spirit-Hay Fever

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Noel Coward: Private Lives-Blithe Spirit-Hay Fever
Noel Coward
Manufacturer: Grove Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802151086

Hay Fever: Starring Jeffrey Jones, Carolyn Seymour and Eric Stoltz

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Hay Fever
"Do you think they know they are mad?"
Noel Coward's First Great Comic Success
Hay Fever
Hay Fever

Hay Fever: Starring Jeffrey Jones, Carolyn Seymour and Eric Stoltz

Manufacturer: L.A. Theatre Works
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 1580811558

Book Description

A weekend at the Bliss family's country home goes haywire when the guests and hosts play romantic musical chairs.

Customer Reviews:

Hay Fever.......2006-08-03

A delightful story as relevant today as it was when Noel Coward first wrote it and had it performed in London.
CLM

"Do you think they know they are mad?".......2006-04-02

Written when Coward was only twenty-four, and produced shortly after, in 1925, Hay Fever is a broad, manic farce which takes place in the country house of a self-absorbed, artistic family. The Blisses, each of whom is creative and spontaneous, ignore the stultifying conventions of society--Judith, an extravagant stage actress, who pursues her own whims whenever it pleases her; her husband David, an author, who enjoys his own spotlight and camp-followers; and their adult children, Simon and Sorel. When Sorel announces that she has invited a weekend guest and would like to be able to use "the Japanese room," she quickly discovers that each of the other family members has also invited a guest for "the Japanese room."

In the course of the weekend, all the guests--conventional people attracted by the exciting lives these non-conformists have created for themselves--find themselves at the mercy of their more confident and assertive hosts. Guests who arrive thinking themselves in love with one person find themselves unexpectedly engaged to marry someone else. No one listens to them, no one recognizes them as individuals, and no one cares about their dashed expectations. As the Bliss family controls the activity during the weekend, the farce borders on absurdity. Outrageous scenes and emotional confrontations, part of their "normal" lives, prove too much for their guests.

The fast-paced interaction one sees on stage constitutes the only "plot," and there are no background stories to add complexity. What you see is obvious--what Coward has intended you to see. Far less subtle than some of his later work and lacking the cynicism and clever repartee for which Coward later became known, the play nevertheless incorporates many of Coward's trademark themes--the sense of entitlement by artists (some of which, he hints, is because they really are superior), their flamboyant behavior, the casual attitudes toward marriage and sex, their egotism and insensitivity to "ordinary" people, along with their sense of fun as they pursue their own pleasure.

These themes are all set into sharp relief by the behavior and attitudes of the guests, who gain no audience sympathy for their predicaments because they are decidedly dull. Though some believe that this is one of Coward's best plays, others will prefer the clever repartee, wit, and irony of the later plays, which tend to have a more intimate focus and smaller cast of characters. n Mary Whipple

Noel Coward's First Great Comic Success.......2005-01-19

Noel Coward (1899-1973) is best recalled for his sparkling yet acid-etched comedies, and the 1925 HAY FEVER is among the best, easily ranking alongside such titles as BLITHE SPIRIT, DESIGN FOR LIVING, and PRIVATE LIVES. Among his earlier successes, Coward received inspiration for the play when he visited the home of the great American actress Laurelette Taylor--and found both her and her family shockingly eccentric in an unexpectedly theatrical way.

Unlike most other Coward scripts, HAY FEVER relies less on plot and Coward's talent for sharp wit than it does upon character. Judith, directly based on Laurelette Taylor, is the lynchpin of the piece: recently retired from the stage, she is an intensely theatrical woman who enjoys dramatizing her life. She has invited a much younger man to be a weekend guest, never dreaming that her husband David, son Simon, and daughter Sorrel have each invited a guest as well.

The four guests soon discover that the maid is down with a toothache, there aren't enough rooms, and there is scarcely enough food to go around. To make matters worse, Judith plays every scene that presents itself. It is a habit in which she is not alone; her novelist husband and their two children are every bit as adept at theatrical hysteria as she, and before the weekend concludes the guests are treated to astonshing exhibitions that alternately annoy, confuse, and frighten them out of their wits.

Plays are written to be performed, not read, and HAY FEVER is a good example of the difficulties that can arise when a non-theatre person tries to visualize how it would be on the stage. On the page, it reads as clever and amusing, but only mildly so; on the stage, however, it is easily one of the most hilarious comedies of the 20th Century. Recommended for those who have the imagination required!

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Hay Fever.......2002-02-25

I was not aware that this was a live stage play. It was hard to follow on the audio tape. This was not really a 'story' being told. You really had to visualize who the characters were and what they were doing. This is not good for an audio book content.
I am an avid audio book listener.

Hay Fever.......2002-02-25

Noel Coward Plays 1: Hay Fever, the Vortex, Fallen Angels, Easy Virtue (World Classics)

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Noel Coward Plays 1: Hay Fever, the Vortex, Fallen Angels, Easy Virtue (World Classics)
Noel Coward
Manufacturer: Methuen Publishing, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0413460606

Allergy Plants: That Cause Sneezing and Wheezing

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I recommend this one!
Very good plant-allergy book

Allergy Plants: That Cause Sneezing and Wheezing
Mary Jelks
Manufacturer: World Publications (Tampa, FL)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 091197704X

Customer Reviews:

I recommend this one!.......2000-01-06

One of the better books on the subject. Well illustrated and written. Well worth the price.

Very good plant-allergy book.......2000-01-06

Mary Jelks MD has made an important contibution to the literature of allergy with this book. It is especially good for people in the Florida area. I am the author of Allergy-Free Gardening.

Play Parade: Design for Living, Cavalcade, Private Lives, Bitter Sweet, Post-Mortem, The Vortex, Hay Fever

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Play Parade: Design for Living, Cavalcade, Private Lives, Bitter Sweet, Post-Mortem, The Vortex, Hay Fever
Noel Coward
Manufacturer: Garden City Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQFMEA

Three Plays: Private Lives, Blithe Spirit, Hay Fever

Average customer rating:

Two classic plays and a fun bonus play

Three Plays: Private Lives, Blithe Spirit, Hay Fever
Noel Coward
Manufacturer: Doubleday Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Continental European | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Two classic plays and a fun bonus play.......2004-04-11

Noel Coward's irrepressibly witty style made him a huge theater success. He also wrote serious dramas (I recommend the screenplay BRIEF ENCOUNTER) but he will always be known for the type of plays included in this volume, two of which promise to endure.

BLITHE SPIRIT (5F, 2M) is my favorite of the lot. Writer Charles Condomine throws a dinner party and invites local medium Madame Arcati. At an after-dinner seance, the spirit of Charles' first wife is released into the house. The fact that only he can see her makes for some great comic scenes, and torments his second wife, Ruth, to no end. The end of the second act brings a surprising twist that further turns the spiritual tables on Charles. The themes of marriage and remarriage are also profitably taken up by...

PRIVATE LIVES (3F, 2M), perhaps Coward's best-known farce, and the last play in this volume. Two honeymooning couples find themselves at the same resort as their exes, provoking three acts of on-again off-again action and some hilarious one-liners. Love is a madness, the play says, and we enjoy hurting the ones we love.

The middle play of the volume, HAY FEVER, was one of Coward's early hits on the London stage, 1925 according to the dust jacket. Though it contains much in the way of funny banter, it does not hold up as well as the other two plays. It treats on a crazy family led by a histrionic matriarch and the unsuspecting guests they host one weekend. It has a large cast (5F, 4M), and those interested in ensemble pieces might want to take a look. The book is worth the read for BLITHE SPIRIT and PRIVATE LIVES alone. Consider HAY FEVER a bonus.

Since I've taken the time to review one of Amazon's least-visited books, I'd appreciate your vote if you found my review at all helpful. It is nice to know it is being read. Thank you.

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Hay Fever: The Complete Guide: Find Relief from Allergies to Pollens, Molds, Pets, Dust Mites, and more
Jonathan Brostoff , and Linda Gamlin
Manufacturer: Healing Arts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device

Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 089281988X
Release Date: 2002-08-01

Book Description

A step-by-step guide to understanding and coping with hay fever, perennial rhinitis, and other allergic reactions.

• Helps to determine whether you really suffer from hay fever and how to deal with it on a year-round basis.

• Shows how to lessen your symptoms without drugs and how to avoid reactions in the first place.

• Explains how to minimize the development of allergies in your children.

• Includes appendices on pollen seasons around the world, air pollution, and useful products and resources.

Almost everyone has thought that they may be suffering from hay fever at one time or another. But what is hay fever? And what are the most effective treatments? Hay Fever: The Complete Guide looks at these questions and provides the scientific background on the causes and types of hay fever and related sinus conditions and how to treat them for the most effective results. The authors explore all the issues of respiratory allergies, including the links between asthma and hay fever and the related issue of preventing allergies in children. They also discuss the role of food allergies and allergens and review the common myths surrounding them. The most effective treatments, both drug-based and homeopathic, are analyzed and weighed against one another. Helpful Appendices offer a summary of the causes, symptoms, and possible treatments for hay fever as well as various sources for further information.

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