Taking Sides

by Ronald Harwood

Book by Ronald Harwood

Genres: Plays, Drama

66 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Sir Ronald Harwood, CBE, FRSL (born Ronald Horwitz; 9 November 1934) was an author, playwright and screenwriter. He was most noted for his plays for the British stage as well as the screenplays for The Dresser (for which he was nominated for an Oscar) and The Pianist, for which he won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He was nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_H...

Reviews

[Dimitris K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ένα ενδιαφέρον θεατρικό έργο που τέμνει τον άνθρωπο, τις επιλογές του, τους συμβιβασμούς του, την δυνατότητα του να ορθώσει ανάστημα. Το έργο δεν δίνει απάντηση, θα ακυρωνόταν το ίδιο αν ρκ επιχειρούσε, αλλά θέτει προβληματισμούς, σε καλεί να σκεφθείς τί θα έκανες εσύ στην θέση των πρωταγωνιστ'ν.
Χρήσιμο έργο, αν και ως προς την εξέλιξη του ημιτελές καταπιάνεται με την στάση του Γερμανού μαέστρου Furtwängler ως προς το ναζιστικό καθεστώς , και αποτελεί μια καλή αφορμή για να αναζητήσει κάποιος περαιτέρω πληροφορίες για το έργο και την πορεία αυτού του ανθρώπου. Η μεταφορά του σε ελληνικά θεατρικά εγχειρήματα, είναι μια εξίσου θετική συνεισφορά του.

[Sally Chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished reading this in French. Have to say that it was grippling although it isn't really completely my cup of tea. I did like the background of the story (during after WWII) and the psychological struggle between both sides though. It was an easy read too and not too moralistic for the theme. Not bad.

[Megan Klingler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually didn't read the Acting Edition like this says, but I couldn't find any other edition on Goodreads. This was a short two-act play about the De-Nazification Tribunal of Wilhelm Futwangler, a German composer. It had interesting things to say about justice and art, and it managed to fit a lot into just 63 pages.

I thought it was strange to format it as a play - I know it was performed a couple of times in London and Poland, but this felt like something that was meant to be read. I don't know what seeing it performed would really add; the entire play was practically just dialogue, so I don't think it would be particularly visually interesting. But I enjoyed reading it!

[Litbitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Started out quite promising, but the good ideas were introduced about halfway through and there was nothing new in the climax. Certainly not in the top echelon of holocaust literature I've read.