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The Playwright
The Playwright rather enjoys a quiet moment in the local park. It is a good place to mentally sort his ideas, and is often frequented by pretty young ladies. He once saw a pigeon defecate onto a businessman's shoulder. It struck him as absurd that such an event is often considered lucky. Surely the luck lay with passers-by who, statistically, were far less likely to be similarly soiled, at that precise moment. Similarly, the Playwright always derived an almost perverse sense of relief whenever he received news that an old friend had developed prostate cancer. Because statistically, he reasoned, such news significantly reduced the chances of him being similarly afflicted. And to be honest, at his age, his prostate needed all the statistical support he could muster." The a dark, romantic comedy about the sex life of a celibate, middle-aged man.
161 pages, Hardcover
First published July 27, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 1, 2010
The latest from artist Eddie Campbell is a collaboration with writer Daren White, and it's a wonderful, bittersweet melding of pictures and words that is formalist in its construction but charming for being so concise.
THE PLAYWRIGHT is the story of a middle-aged English gentleman who has enjoyed some success as a writer, with much of his most successful work being for television. Over the years, he has become rather set in his ways, and his artistic and financial success is offset by an increasing isolation. He is not close to his family due to his mining their lives for material. In fact, many of his prior human connections have become grist for his typewriter. Employing a humorous and matter-of-fact tone, White details the sexual hang-ups and perpetual embarrassments the playwright suffers, gently mocking the man while still remaining utterly fascinated by him.
Campbell has painted the book in his usual sketchy, evocative manner, but the page layout is more like a newspaper comic strip than your traditional comic book. Printed at a rectangular size, each page has 3 or 4 panels, no more. There are also no word balloons or any narration within the panels, White's narrative is presented outside of the picture boxes, and the effect is something akin to voiceover in a silent film. The words serve as commentary, but yet are detached, coming from an omniscient narrator. This allows a break from "reality," and gives Campbell room to roam from presenting what is being said and abstract the material. Some sequences are shown as the playwright's fantasies instead of his actions, and others take on a life of their own, Campbell's expressionistic style morphing and changing what we see until it becomes something else entirely.
THE PLAYWRIGHT ends up being more than a portrait of a man and his quirks, however; a story arc develops the deeper we go into the book and things begin to change. The man that was initially greeted with an arched eyebrow and skepticism is given room to grow, and he does so quite naturally. Perhaps it's the simplicity of the storytelling, that a few well-placed lines allow for the kind of character development that is so often lacking in other, more effusive tales. It's not that the playwright has to struggle or earn his happiness, but that by finally meeting life as it comes to him, it affects him at last.
Somewhat ironically, this changes his relationship with his art, and White and Campbell, it turns out, have been crafting a good-natured parody of many cliches about creative life. Must authors be miserable bastards to write? Some think so. In THE PLAYWRIGHT we are asked if this being true means it's better to ignore happiness for a little notoriety. Then again, how we perceive the change is also going to be altered to how much we buy into the titular writer being an artist and not some hack. Is he who he is because he bought the cliche? And are Daren White and Eddie Campbell able to be who they are, and to create a comic as blithe as THE PLAYRIGHT, because they haven't?
THE PLAYWRIGHT is the story of a middle-aged English gentleman who has enjoyed some success as a writer, with much of his most successful work being for television. Over the years, he has become rather set in his ways, and his artistic and financial success is offset by an increasing isolation. He is not close to his family due to his mining their lives for material. In fact, many of his prior human connections have become grist for his typewriter. Employing a humorous and matter-of-fact tone, White details the sexual hang-ups and perpetual embarrassments the playwright suffers, gently mocking the man while still remaining utterly fascinated by him.
Campbell has painted the book in his usual sketchy, evocative manner, but the page layout is more like a newspaper comic strip than your traditional comic book. Printed at a rectangular size, each page has 3 or 4 panels, no more. There are also no word balloons or any narration within the panels, White's narrative is presented outside of the picture boxes, and the effect is something akin to voiceover in a silent film. The words serve as commentary, but yet are detached, coming from an omniscient narrator. This allows a break from "reality," and gives Campbell room to roam from presenting what is being said and abstract the material. Some sequences are shown as the playwright's fantasies instead of his actions, and others take on a life of their own, Campbell's expressionistic style morphing and changing what we see until it becomes something else entirely.
THE PLAYWRIGHT ends up being more than a portrait of a man and his quirks, however; a story arc develops the deeper we go into the book and things begin to change. The man that was initially greeted with an arched eyebrow and skepticism is given room to grow, and he does so quite naturally. Perhaps it's the simplicity of the storytelling, that a few well-placed lines allow for the kind of character development that is so often lacking in other, more effusive tales. It's not that the playwright has to struggle or earn his happiness, but that by finally meeting life as it comes to him, it affects him at last.
Somewhat ironically, this changes his relationship with his art, and White and Campbell, it turns out, have been crafting a good-natured parody of many cliches about creative life. Must authors be miserable bastards to write? Some think so. In THE PLAYWRIGHT we are asked if this being true means it's better to ignore happiness for a little notoriety. Then again, how we perceive the change is also going to be altered to how much we buy into the titular writer being an artist and not some hack. Is he who he is because he bought the cliche? And are Daren White and Eddie Campbell able to be who they are, and to create a comic as blithe as THE PLAYRIGHT, because they haven't?
April 19, 2020
How many “old sad white guy” books can I read?
September 9, 2013
Eddie Campbell drew From Hell, with Alan Moore. Here he draws again for Daren White and adds color, watercolor, softly toning this story about a playwright with almost no social skills. He is self-absorbed, almost never speaks to other people, mines his loneliness and his mining his family helps to separate him further from others.. making him very successful, receiving award after award for his writing. The book is not as sweet as it sounds so far, though, because part of his self-absorption involves his (benign and harmless) obsession on women, who he almost has no success with though they come to him because of his writing. And then...he uses this failure to get even more successful as a writer.... but he doesn't know how to be successful with women... so that's interesting, but still, his obsession has clearly been off-putting to many readers who rated the book low... To get into the mind of an unattractive successful writer loner loser... eh, you say... but this book reminds me of the many books by so many sad, off comic book writers about romantic and sexual obsession writing for whom? Lots and lots of lonely, sad people who don't know how to communicate with each other, lost. Those stories are never as popular as I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell or grand stories of great men.. but this is the life lived by a lot of lonely people, even some successful writers. It won't be appealing to a lot of readers, but it is honest, and feels real to me.
No spoiler here on the resolution, which was satisfying, I'll just say, which becomes a reflection on the relationship between literature and life, for writers and readers. White's story is short and clearly focused, creates an interesting (if pretty unappealing) character (no, I wouldn't date him, either..) and I love the deft, subtle artwork of Campbell, the colors sweetening the sometimes sour story.
No spoiler here on the resolution, which was satisfying, I'll just say, which becomes a reflection on the relationship between literature and life, for writers and readers. White's story is short and clearly focused, creates an interesting (if pretty unappealing) character (no, I wouldn't date him, either..) and I love the deft, subtle artwork of Campbell, the colors sweetening the sometimes sour story.
August 10, 2018
I started off disliking this, but I fell into it once the character of The Playwright got a bit more fleshed out. I think I’ll still take Wilson by Dan Clowes or Fante Bukowski by Noah Van Sciver if I’m looking for a comic about an unassuming creep, but there’s a certain misunderstood sweetness to The Playwright that develops over the course of the book that isn’t present in either of those other two titles.
I can’t really get into the art work. I know it’s the dude who did From Hell, and I like the watercolors, but the scratchy line-work doesn’t do it for me.
A fine book with a pleasant conclusion, though the story of a middle-aged, sexually repressed white dude bashing through his bouts of creativity and loneliness isn’t exactly the kind of story I’m looking for right now, or possibly ever.
I can’t really get into the art work. I know it’s the dude who did From Hell, and I like the watercolors, but the scratchy line-work doesn’t do it for me.
A fine book with a pleasant conclusion, though the story of a middle-aged, sexually repressed white dude bashing through his bouts of creativity and loneliness isn’t exactly the kind of story I’m looking for right now, or possibly ever.
March 10, 2022
This is sort of a modern adaptation of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. A successful middle-aged man, a playwright with many awards, constantly thinks about women and sex, but doesn't have the social skills to be successful. Half of it is his own fault, the reality of life never matches the joy of his daydreams. Thus when he finds any little flaw or obstacle in his life, he walks away. The interesting part is how much his detested celibacy is linked to his ability to write. One is the counterbalance to the other.
October 16, 2023
It was interesting and a quick read, for sure. But I’m not sure I understood the point. I found it oddly intriguing that this man had such a fascination and affinity with sex. It was beautifully written, drafted, and illustrated (albeit, a little crude). I did like the theme at the end of finding your muse when you’re unhappy, but when you finally achieve happiness, that muse is dried up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2018
Excellent piece of black humor, about a middle-aged man driven by social insecurity and sexual fantasies to become an award-winning playwright. It's very funny, very dark, very seductive. Strong art, good pacing, definitely recommended.
October 9, 2017
A short story about male loneliness and creativity. Enjoyable.
November 22, 2017
A strange format, like a pornographic picture book. Beautiful drawing, but I'm not sure it's more than a curiosity.
April 29, 2018
funny & witty
January 24, 2024
A very honest look at self and creativity
October 20, 2014
I enjoyed my read of this. I'm not as well versed in slice-of-life graphic novels, but this was an interesting portrayal of a celibate middle-aged man trying yet seemingly unable to find a woman he can share a life with.
From the outside, the unnamed playwright appears to be highly successful. He is highly regarded professionally, lives a cultured life filled with good food and modest living, and displays his love of family by caring for his mentally handicapped brother. Despite all of this, he is hounded by anxiety, neurosis, passivity and a general lack of confidence.
One aspect I really appreciated was the portrayal of social anxiety and the difficulty some people have with making meaningful connections. So often the unnamed playwright gets so close to meeting the love of his life - a person who is genuinely interested in knowing him - only to have the effort sabotaged by his own insecurities and apprehensions. I love how the book nailed how we tend to be our own worst enemy at times.
I enjoyed the watercolor art style. I will definitely need to go back and re-read the book, spending more time with the art, to pick up on some of the nuance. I think I may have missed on a lot of the storytelling by focusing more on the words than the art.
I think if we're honest, we can find a bit of the playwright in each of us. Although his hangups might be more exaggerated, I found myself identifying with him. I appreciated that while this book deals with some mature content and themes, they were never presented as crass, childish, or gross. I also appreciate the hopeful and uplifting ending, which I think is rarity these days.
From the outside, the unnamed playwright appears to be highly successful. He is highly regarded professionally, lives a cultured life filled with good food and modest living, and displays his love of family by caring for his mentally handicapped brother. Despite all of this, he is hounded by anxiety, neurosis, passivity and a general lack of confidence.
One aspect I really appreciated was the portrayal of social anxiety and the difficulty some people have with making meaningful connections. So often the unnamed playwright gets so close to meeting the love of his life - a person who is genuinely interested in knowing him - only to have the effort sabotaged by his own insecurities and apprehensions. I love how the book nailed how we tend to be our own worst enemy at times.
I enjoyed the watercolor art style. I will definitely need to go back and re-read the book, spending more time with the art, to pick up on some of the nuance. I think I may have missed on a lot of the storytelling by focusing more on the words than the art.
I think if we're honest, we can find a bit of the playwright in each of us. Although his hangups might be more exaggerated, I found myself identifying with him. I appreciated that while this book deals with some mature content and themes, they were never presented as crass, childish, or gross. I also appreciate the hopeful and uplifting ending, which I think is rarity these days.
January 17, 2013
I'm not normally a big fan of Eddie Campbell--his art often looks too scratchy/sketchy to my eye, and I often find myself wondering just what exactly it is that I'm supposed to be looking at. This, however, is a different kettle of fish. Perhaps the fact that it's in colour helps. The underlying designs still seem typically Campbellian, but the characters are all instantly recognizeable, and I was never in any doubt about what I was looking at. And there are some quite stunning and effective images. It's not a comic, really, so much as an illustrated story, with text and captions. The text rather preciously tells the story of "The Playwright" (only ever so designated, never named) in episodes from his life over several years. It boils down to the old living life vs ovbserving life dichotomy, with the central conceit being that the author's alienation and loneliness were the spur to his creativity; as long as he was detached and just observed life, he could create masterful works while living an empty, sterile life. Once he gets a life, he never writes another word. Not exactly deep, and a tad pretentious, but Campbell's art really sells it.
April 16, 2015
it was a hot afternoon, the power was off and I was abit "figety." Concluding that I had nothing better to do I decided to read a book, a comic book to be more specific. I retreaved Clumsy by Jeffrey Brown, now this book, clumsy, goodness even the title makes my teeth clench, this book, well let me ask you this, have you ever read a book so, (insert swear word, presumably starting with the letter "F") pointless that you've contemplated throwing it against your wall? I'm being silly, but I hope you understand loosely as to what hatred, anger and complete disgust this book inspired in me. Anyway, after placing this horrid book in the "for hospice" box, I wandered to the lounge, sat on my naturally heated couch and began to watch my toenails grow. My buttocks began to cramp and I realised that I had been sitting on the couch for quite a while. I decided once again to read a book, and once again, to be more specific, a comic book. After a great many "umms" and "ahhs" went by, I picked out The Playwright, and what an extroadinarily good decision I made.
The End.
Only half of this is true, I don't have a "for hospice" box.
The End.
Only half of this is true, I don't have a "for hospice" box.
October 26, 2016
3.5 stars. A socially/sexually stunted (and so socially/sexually obsessed) playwright has won all his awards for his explorations of isolation and melancholy, and now is trying to make sense of his perspective -and make a genuinely meaningful connection with another person- before he tips into his golden years. It's even shorter than it looks because of the unusual formatting: only 3 panels to a page, so the eye tracks across the pages horizontally in a stream-of-consciousness style. Campbell's art style is well-suited to the confessional/diary tone and his in top form here, contrasting the playwright's delightful fantasies with his mundane reality. Images and themes repeat and develop in the writing and art as the character tries to make meaning out of his routines with ever-closer observation (which apparently has been working for him for decades, so it's not as pathetic as it sounds). This is another example of something I've noticed that I like: when an author can make me care about a character who is fairly unlikable on the surface (though this little story doesn't stand up to the masterpieces "Midnight Cowboy" or "I Kill Giants," which I also read this year).
October 13, 2014
"The Playwright" is a pretty unique little book. Broken up into short slice-of-life chapters, it tells the story of an over-sexed, socially awkward playwright in the later stages of his career. It's a bittersweet story that touches on family relationships, the nature of success, and loneliness without delving into these issues in a linear way. Like I said, it's a unique way to present a graphic novel.
Eddie Campbell's artwork, always a bit too sketchy for my taste, is enhanced by some lovely coloring work and the chapters are full wry humor and keen observations. It's a very quick read and I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did. It's certainly my favorite work of Campbell's to date.
I found the "The Playwright" to be sort of an enigma. It felt like an important, weighty story that was building towards some great revelation but, instead, it just sort of faded from my memory after I finished it. I know that sounds like a criticism but I think it's a great analogy for "real life" and it's shifting focus on the important and the mundane.
Eddie Campbell's artwork, always a bit too sketchy for my taste, is enhanced by some lovely coloring work and the chapters are full wry humor and keen observations. It's a very quick read and I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did. It's certainly my favorite work of Campbell's to date.
I found the "The Playwright" to be sort of an enigma. It felt like an important, weighty story that was building towards some great revelation but, instead, it just sort of faded from my memory after I finished it. I know that sounds like a criticism but I think it's a great analogy for "real life" and it's shifting focus on the important and the mundane.
February 8, 2020
I love Eddie Campbell's art here--for some reason, I've never seen it in color before. Thin on story, but heavy on character work, I found the book mildly interesting.
December 3, 2013
This isn't quite a "graphic novel" -- its more of a heavily illustrated short story, with a combination of words and pictures on every page. It's a stark character study of the titular playwright, as he comes to terms with his past and his place in the world. It reminded me a lot of Richard Yates -- nothing is romanticized or explained, the story is simply told, and the reader makes whatever meaning they can from the story. It's definitely an acquired taste, but Campbell and White have created a thought-provoking and intriguing book.
August 16, 2010
Reminiscent of large cartoon broadsheets featuring a caricature, this deceptively simple humorous narrative about a playwright becomes a sensitive fleshed portrait by the finish. It begins by poking fun at a man who makes his living at writing about humanity from the view of an observer only to regret his lack of actual substance to his life. Amusingly, it is only when he begins to live his own life that he finds he cannot write anymore.
June 7, 2012
Deeply empathetic, and achingly honest. This book read like an Andre Dubus (long) short story, adapted into picture-book form. Not a traditional "graphic novel," by any stretch, but don't mistake its quiet mood and slow pace for "boring." This book delves deep into the heart of a peculiar and haunted man, and gives us as clear a view of his world and his fears and desires(without ever judging him, which is difficult) as we can hope for.
April 3, 2016
Engaging graphic story about a socially repressed, woman-obsessed man who gets his story-telling ideas from the travails of his own life. Eddie Campbell's sketchy drawing style seems perfect for the narrative. I've never seen Campbell's work in color before, and I think the color enhances the effect of his on-the-mark artwork. The ending, while not a twist, was unexpected and followed naturally from everything that came before. Very good all around.
May 26, 2012
Boring, stodgy characters don't make for the most interesting of books, despite the author's attempts to interject some humor. This is a portrait of a sad, sad man and that gives us a sad, joyless book.
January 18, 2013
Sad and lonely leads to productivity, content and fulfilled leads to unproductivity. Hmmm... I love Eddie Campbell's drawings (in color, no less!) and the subtle insights into "the playwright's" mind we get through the spare narrative.
September 24, 2010
Really great. Melancholy and lonesome.
November 19, 2011
A man truly committed... to comics. And a great story to boot.
I'd bet we all know a someone just like the protagonist...
I'd bet we all know a someone just like the protagonist...
October 18, 2010
Cartoonists of the world - enough with the sad, lonely, awkward, middle-aged white dude and his masturbation habits. Eddie Campbell is good at drawing, but seriously- enough.
September 19, 2011
Quiet, a little stream-of-conscious, softly humorous, I found this graphic story to be quite appealing, made more so by Eddie Campbell's masterful artwork.
August 23, 2012
Eddie Campbell's primitive tools lead to some of the most humanistic cartooning around. Daren White's story is warm and in perfect balance and scope. A wonderful way to spend an hour.
November 15, 2012
Excellent illustrations support this glimpse of an ordinary (flawed) man's world.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews