Three Plays: A Man of God/Ariadne/The Votive Candle

by Gabriel Marcel

Gabriel Marcel is a master of subtle examinations of conscience, of deceit, of crises in the bourgeois milieu he has chosen to dramatize. Departig from the usual line of classical French dramaturgy, where characters desire to know, these fascinating plays are preoccupied with their characters' passionate desire to be known. Included in this collection are a preface by the author and three A Man of God, Ariadne, and The Votive Candle (originally titled The Funeral Pyre).

285 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Gabriel Marcel (1889–1973) was a philosopher, drama critic, playwright and musician. He converted to Catholicism in 1929 and his philosophy was later described as “Christian Existentialism” (most famously in Jean-Paul Sartre's “Existentialism is a Humanism”) a term he initially endorsed but later repudiated. In addition to his numerous philosophical publications, he was the author of some thirty dramatic works. Marcel gave the Gifford Lectures in Aberdeen in 1949–1950, which appeared in print as the two-volume The Mystery of Being, and the William James Lectures at Harvard in 1961–1962, which were collected and published as The Existential Background of Human Dignity.

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first foray into reading plays so I can't speak from any kind of experience or expertise but, they seemed good to me. Kinda sad, kinda weird, kinda crazy, but overall interesting, and a good read. If you're a fan of unfaithful spouses, family dramas, obscure playwrights, or Paris, then these might just be the plays you were looking for.

I'm trying to broaden my cultural horizons and branch out of my reading comfort zone, plays, poetry, classics, existential literature, etc etc. Be a more well-rounded reader and not just the guy who reads depressing fiction. (Which is my lifeblood, my bread and butter, my niche genre and I will always go back to it). Not sure I'll make reading plays a regular thing but it was a nice change of pace.

[sare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinda haunting