Green Julia

by Paul Ableman

Book by Abelman, Paul

Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Paul Ableman was an English playwright and novelist. He wrote an eclectic mix of literary novels, erotic fiction, television novelizations, and non-fiction.

Ableman was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, into a Jewish family, and brought up mainly in New York. He later settled in Hampstead, London. His father was a tailor and his mother was a small-time actress.

Ableman was married twice, first to Tina Carrs-Brown in 1958; then to Sheila Hutton-Fox in 1978 until his death in 2006.

Reviews

[Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read this play in over thirty years, and I saw it almost fifty years ago, yet certain lines and scenes still resonate in my memory, so that should tell you something about it right there. The premise of two graduate students playing spontaneous, highly inventive games of make-believe might be considered dated in today's world of smart phones and X-Box games, as might the theme of what Tennessee Williams once called (as the title to a play of his own) "something unspoken," but if nothing else, "Green Julia" shouldn't be forgotten for its reminder of how the world once was. It's a very funny, very charming, very creative look at loss of innocence and the resultant dissolution of a friendship, and it has that bittersweet quality that I find particularly effective, in drama and literature both. Laughter and tears are perhaps both most memorable when they mingle. If a theatrical company is looking for a very effective two-hander, they could do a lot worse than "Green Julia."
JP

[dead letter office · Rating 3 out of 5]

a play about grad students