Hobson's Choice

by Harold Brighouse

This comedy is based around the battle of wills between a hard-headed cobbler, called Hobson and his daughter Maggie. Maggie defies Hobson by marrying his most talented worker - the timid and downtrodden Will. She helps Will to develop his potential and together they turn the tables on Hobson.

Genres: Plays, Classics, Drama, Fiction, School, Comedy, Humor

99 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1916

About the author

Harold Brighouse was an English playwright and author whose best known play is Hobson's Choice. He was a prominent member, together with Allan Monkhouse and Stanley Houghton, of a group known as the Manchester School of dramatists.

Reviews

[Diana Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

When trying to find something about this play that takes place in England c.1880, I came upon a certain reference to the name of the story:
A Hobson's choice is a free choice in which only one thing is offered. Because a person may refuse to accept what is offered, the two options are taking it or taking nothing. In other words, one may "take it or leave it." How clever is it that the author of the play named his character Henry Hobson and the play refers to that. I could not find out when the play was first written but it appears the first performance was in 1916. The story revolves around a shop owner, shoes or boot-maker, who has three daughters, two pretty and one clever and according to wikipedia resembles Cinderella or King Lear...indeed it does. I thought it was a witty play and really enjoyed reading it. Since it was filmed, I just might have to see if I can locate a visual.

[Mohajerino · Rating 3 out of 5]

کمدی‌ است در ۴پرده .
داستان مردی است خودکامه با رفتار‌هایی فئودال گونه.یک فروشگاه کفش دوزی دارد و آنرا بیشتر از هرچیزی الویت زندگی اش قرار داده است.
مردی که با رفتارهایش اجازه نمیدهد اطرافیانش به راحتی‌ و آزادی زندگی کنند.
منو یاد این سه تا نمایشنامه انداخت :
لیرشاه شکسپیر
ملکه‌ی زیبایی لی‌نین مکدونا
باغ آلبالوی چخوف

با ترجمه‌ی دکتر بهروز محمودی بختیاری خوندم و راضی بودم.
چاپ اول 1394 نشر افراز

[Wreade1872 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comedy play about 3 daughters who do all the work and their overbearing father who does all the drinking.
This is a pretty solid social comedy, the jokes reminded me of the humour of 'Till Death Do Us Part' or 'All in the Family' if your american. The ending might seem a bit harsh to some of the characters but this is a tough time to live in and 'being nice' is a relative term anyway.
So an easy 3-stars when watched/read in a void... however!
Its also clearly a reimagining of King Lear, and on that basis i gave it an extra star. Personally i always thought Lear himself a bit of an ass and was rooting for the evil daughters most of the time :P . The writer of this play seems of a similar opinion.
I also love the differences shown here between the qualities of a good daughter in shakespears time and a good daughter in 1915. There's a lot you can examine in what the playwright chooses to leave and change between the two works.

Edit: Note nobody else seems to be reading it as King Lear 2.0, so maybe its just me :) .

[Mike Futcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's a poor sort of woman who'll stay lazy when she sees her best chance slipping from her. A Salford life's too near the bone to lose things through fear of speaking out." (pg. 16)

I first read this play for English Lit in high school in 2005/6 – what must be half my lifetime ago by now – and, before picking it up today, all I remembered of it was that it was vaguely amusing and set in my hometown of Salford (which must've been one of the reasons why the teacher chose to study it). And that the film adaptation was surprisingly star-studded for a story set in such an unpromising Lancashire town: Alexander Korda producing, David Lean behind the camera, with John Mills and Charles Laughton in front of it.

I certainly mustn't have appreciated it at the time, because I was really surprised today by how much I enjoyed reading it. And it wasn't just the fact it was set in Salford – casually throwing in street and place names I know well – though I did enjoy that, no matter how routine and unremarkable that sort of thing must seem to, say, a Londoner or a New Yorker. The characters ring true, as does the nuance and humour of the dialogue, and the concept is heart-warming: Maggie, a self-assured woman (an "old maid" at thirty) sees the potential in Will, a talented but timid bootmaker of the underclass, and raises him up (or helps him raise himself up), developing a truly strong and reciprocal relationship that shows a hard-won love by the time the theatre curtain falls.

Will's self-confidence by the end is mirrored by the play's: despite its lowly setting, it has all the panache of a crowd-pleaser and a strong literary vein running through it. Whilst it was completely lost on the teenage me, I can see now the theatre heritage: Hobson's Choice has elements of King Lear recast as a comedy – imagine Cordelia not standing for anyone else's nonsense, and you have the right of it – and it is spartan enough (only two different settings over four acts) to allow for easy reproduction on the stage. The play is like Will when he pops up out of that hatch in Act One: he doesn't seem like much, but you soon begin to take notice.

[Russio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly amusing clash of the generations, as a trio of unmarried daughters, propelled by the most steadfast among them, outmanoeuvre their stern and old-fashioned father, first about marriage and then second in even more significant ways. Set in Lowry era Manchester it is interesting that the play opened in the Us, who would no doubt have great sympathy with the pioneering spirit of young(ish) Maggie, who is the fulcrum of the play's action. Although many readers would find her amusingly bold given the time period she was written in.

Hobson himself, perhaps more of a sketch than a fleshed out character, although no doubt recognisable at the time, is left with a difficult choice between two avenues that don't appeal. It is tough for the audience not to have a little sympathy for his predicament, if not the man himself. I guess this might be where the phrase comes from, although could be written as the embodiment of it instead. An interesting period piece; I wouldn't touch it for my students though given the alternative texts available: An Inspector Calls, The History Boys, etc.

[Aershey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting to acknowledge the historical content and the social class system between the characters. Never thought I would read this, but since it's part of a English literature I read this book. All the characters are interesting when you analysis and read between the lines, especially Maggie, Willie and Hobson; you see a different perceptive of the unique characters throughout the play. You also see the equality of men and women, and that Maggie is not a typical women of her age.

The the title Hobson choice perfectly summarises and describes the entire play when poor old Hobson has no choice but to accept whatever option is given to him in the end. There's a hint of romance and comedy. Do make sure you watch the film so you can get a better glimpse of the story. This play is not fantasy but its all happily ever after for the characters accept for Hobson. I will give this a 3.5/5.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a GCSE set text at my placement school and I thought it best that I read it so that when I work with Year 11, I can help them understand it.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and loved the characters. It was satisfying to read and even though I disliked Maggie at the start, I really got to see what she was like throughout.
Hobson runs a show shop and mistreats his daughters, who work, wageless, in running his shop while he goes out and drinks. But when his young shoe-maker employee is praised by a wealthy customer as a talent, his eldest daughter Maggie forms a plan in which she disobeys her father's orders and frees herself and her sisters from his grasp, and get them all into good marriages...
Very clever, with subtle humour and a great flow, I think I will enjoy discussing this play with the pupils at school!

[Renato · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this first in school, then watched the film, the play and the ballet(all through my school). For some reason I loved this quite quirky story then and I still do now. I dust it off and still chuckle to myself at Maggie's sharp tongue. So this was its annual outing and I decided to give it a 5*:)

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always loved this play , since I read it and saw the film starring Charles Laughton and John Mills and Brenda De Banzie especially as Maggie . Was funny , and I still love it to this day. Was great to find the book in a book sale in Dorchester recently.

[Nelina Kapetsoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and enjoyable. The play is quite funny sometimes with a memorable female protagonist. I'd love to see it on stage.

[Debi Cates · Rating 5 out of 5]

You go, Maggie Hobson!

Miss Hobson, you won't get the vote for another dozen years, but you used your brains and will to mold your life with a happy marriage of mutual respect and well on the road to a successful and honest business.

While you were at it, you saw to it that your two younger sisters were able to marry the suitors of their choice and got your misogynistic alcoholic father on the road to sobriety.

So much for being insulted by being called "bossy."

This makes a fascinating comparison to the previous fiction I just finished, written 4 years before, the idiotic A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. This play was immensely more enjoyable and proves that in the 1910s not all male writers were blathering juveniles.

I rejoiced. And my reading palette cleared.



Watched the Granada play with the magnificent Patricia Routledge as Maggie and a young, cute Michael Caine as reluctant husband, aired in 1962.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96sFg...

[Ally Atherton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read this book because my son is studying it at high school and I thought it would be an interesting quicky to boost my 52 book challenge. So I borrowed it from him and gave it a go. It is unbelievable how my own family don't understand my obsession and love of reading. My wife was asking 'Why are you reading that?' And my son was asking 'Why are you reading that book, it's a school book?' How many times do I have to say I a writer and as a writer I want to and need to read as many different genres as humanly possible! Oh well enough of my moaning, what about the book?

I haven't read that many plays over the years and this is my first of the year. It is an old play and was first presented on stage in 1916 at the Apollo Theatre in London. Set in my own native north west it focuses on a cobbler who treats his three daughters and his own workers pretty grimly and spends far too much time at his local pub. However he receives a dose of his own medicine when his daughters turn against him and he has to fight to retain his position as head of the family!

I actually feel for the main character because I work in a female dominated profession and I know what it is like to feel the wrath of dominant co workers! But as for the play itself it didn't exactly rock my world. Maybe it just isn't my cup of tea but I found it mildly amusing and average at best. It wasn't exactly a laugh a minute and it wasn't a page turner by any means. But maybe I should read more plays and perhaps visit my local theatre more often.

2/5

[Giles · Rating 3 out of 5]

give up.

[Mia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to read it for my GCSE English class and it bored me and the entire class

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feminist and socialist leaning play set in Northern England...

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

As good as the movie.

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Woeful thank you please

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this almost as much as the David Lean movie.

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good little play with an unorthodox love story at the heart of it. It has some good laughs, one or two fairly likeable characters and a general sweetness to it that somehow manages to stay clear of the saccharine.

For me, this was very much the story of Maggie and Will. I didn't find Hobson himself to be a particularly interesting character, although he did have a few funny moments. Neither of Maggie's sisters or their love interests were all that notable either. This is likely the key factor in why I haven't given it a better review, despite really enjoying the central story and Will's character arc.

SPOILERS

Quite early on, I found Maggie and Will's partnership quite admirable, in a strange way. As someone who tends more towards passionate romances than secure, sensible partnerships, this surprised me a little, as it sort of seems that both characters are compromising for, what they feel, is all that's really on offer to them. As the play goes on though, it becomes clear that real love is blooming, and it got me thinking about how, when it comes down to it, a big part of love is about believing in someone, and helping them to become the person you always knew they could be. This, to me, is what Brighouse was getting at.

To anyone who liked this play, or anyone who's undecided about whether or not to bother reading it, check out the movie version by David Lean, starring Charles Laughton as Hobson. It's really faithful to the play (pretty much word for word in most places, with just a few small details changed e.g. more set locations).

[Martin Denton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Harold Brighouse's play Hobson's Choice is, I suppose, a valuable document of what English society was like in 1915 (when it was written) and 1880 (when it takes place). But the picture it paints is not at all a pretty one: what struck me about this long-winded, badly dated play was how unapologetically grasping our forefathers and -mothers seem to have been. Hobson's Choice is a tribute to--nay, a celebration of--paternalistic capitalism. The only goal worth having, it tells us, is to make a great deal of money. The only reason to care about people, it goes on to say, is to get them to do what you want them to do. A wretched sort of morality, this: the very worst of the principles that western society is built on.

This is not, mind you, what Hobson's Choice is about--not at all: this is a supposedly warm-hearted domestic comedy about a blustery, tyrannical shoe merchant who bossily dominates his three daughters, until he gets his comeuppance when the eldest and most independent-minded of the them decides to marry one of his bootmakers.

[Patrick Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually saw the 1957 movie first, just a random selection on YouTube. It was excellent. I googled it to find out it was a play. The play script was so short the movie was often word for word, in fact it added a number of extra scenes. Really enjoyed reading the play as well, first time reading one for entertainment.

[Matthew Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

So the new Year 10s have their new GCSE texts, and this old chestnut. So being kids of the video age they got to watch a video of it And blow me down, in the first scene there is dear old Albert Tatlock doing his best rude mechanical impression. To an audience brought up on netflicks, 3d, 4d, 5g, AI this creaky old play with it's class based obsessions and good old fashioned "worm turning" plot did not keep them rivited. So a long slog ahead to deconstruct the Lancastrian dialect, Maggies dynamism and the grumpy dad's comeuppance. Groan....

[Mark Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the play, and loved the movie. Maggie is the ideal, and the real deal, women. When a friend of mine was universally written off. A woman saw my friend's potential. This is the stuff of real life. A loving woman can convince a man not drink himself to death, but only Christ can give eternal life.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of the movie since the first time I saw it years ago. Now I know the movie stuck close to the play, while expanding it to scenes set outside the two shops.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

譯者陳鈞潤以本土化的筆觸完美重現Brighouse的故事，廣東話對白夠老派。如果要挑一部翻譯劇本寫論文，這本足以成為教科書級的存在。可惜斯人已逝，無法再譯更多如此精妙的劇本了。必不可錯過。

[T.J. Gillespie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is not even the origin of the phrase Hobson's choice.

The phrase predates this four-act play by several centuries.
Still, it illustrates the situation where you are presented the illusion of a choice.

[Palakh · Rating 2 out of 5]

School forced me to read this, it was rubbish and a waste of my time.

[Naweed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A daughters struggle to break away from Hobsons imprisonment.

[Catrinamaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cast did a full read through with me s prompt sitting across in our first rehearsal for performance in 6 weeks or so. First on the London stage a century ago the clash of generations, English class divisions and the gender divide are as relevant today as then.