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Echoes Down the Corridor: Collected Essays, 1944-2000
For some fifty years now, Arthur Miller has been not only America's premier playwright, but also one of our foremost public intellectuals and cultural critics. Echoes Down the Corridor gathers together a dazzling array of more than forty previously uncollected essays and works of reportage. Here is Arthur Miller, the brilliant social and political commentator-but here, too, Miller the private man behind the internationally renowned public figure.Witty and wise, rich in artistry and insight, Echoes Down the Corridor reaffirms Arthur Miller's standing as one of the greatest writers of our time.
- GenresEssaysNonfiction
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
7 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Miller
539 books3,187 followersWorks of American playwright Arthur Asher Miller include
Death of a Salesman
(1949), for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, and
The Crucible
(1953).
This essayist, a prominent figure in literature and cinema for over 61 years, composed a wide variety, such as celebrated A View from the Bridge and All My Sons , still studied and performed worldwide. Miller often in the public eye most famously refused to give evidence to the un-American activities committee of the House of Representatives, received award for drama, and married Marilyn Monroe. People at the time considered the greatest Miller.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_...
This essayist, a prominent figure in literature and cinema for over 61 years, composed a wide variety, such as celebrated A View from the Bridge and All My Sons , still studied and performed worldwide. Miller often in the public eye most famously refused to give evidence to the un-American activities committee of the House of Representatives, received award for drama, and married Marilyn Monroe. People at the time considered the greatest Miller.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_...
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 7, 2023
Много добре написани есета. Допаднаха ми много текстовете на тема политика. Артър Милър има интересни мисли и умее да си играе с тях пред читателя така, че да го увлече и провокира.
January 28, 2010
When I started taking the train to work, I was really excited about how much reading I was going to get done. I happily imagined a future in which I've read every book I'd ever wanted to read -- and all thanks to the LA Metro! People would talk about the classics and I'd airily reply, "Why, yes, I've read it." I'd get a forward asking me to check all of the books I'd read, and I'd be able to check all 100 books on the list. I would be so well-read!
Well, the reality wasn't quite what I'd imagined it to be. I do still read a heck of a lot, but it's what I'm reading that was unexpected.
I don't have a lot of money to spend on books, and I also don't have a lot of time to go to the library. As a result, I ended up borrowing books from friends here and there, borrowing lots of children's lit from my sister, who's a teacher, and the kids at my church. Mostly, though, I ended up reading books that have been sitting on my shelf that I never got around to reading.
Most of those books were on the shelf for a reason. I hadn't had any sort of burning desire to read them in the past. Most of them were okay. But none of them were too terribly well-written or compelling. It was a nice way to pass the time, but that was about it. It was getting so that I'd almost forgotten that I'd ever been moved by anything I'd read in a book.
Then, one day, I thought I'd hit rock bottom. There was a book on my shelf that I'd read part of the way through, but that I couldn't really remember at all. It was given to me as a gift from a friend. She asked me to let her borrow it after I was done, and I never lent it to her because I never finished it.
It was a collection of essays by Arthur Miller. I figured I must not remember it because it wasn't that interesting, but I wanted to get it under my literary belt, so I chucked it into my bag and headed for the train.
That is the first sentence of Echoes Down the Corridor. I read it and was instantly transported to Brooklyn. And then back in time to the Brooklyn of Miller's own childhood. I devoured the essay greedily, savoring his descriptions of the colorful characters of the Midwood section. I could hear the children shouting in the streets, the housewives gossiping in line at the grocery store, the honking of horns. He doesn't describe any of these noises, and yet, somehow, they automatically popped into my mind as he described other things. That is the power of Miller. He conjures.
As soon as I was done with the first essay ("Brooklyn is a lot of villages. And this was one of them." SIGH), I dove breathlessly into the next one. And then the next one.
Something about his writing grabbed hold of me. About halfway through the book, I realized what it was. It was good writing.
In all of the books I'd been reading since I started taking the train, I'd read a lot of interesting stories and fascinating histories. But I hadn't enjoyed reading really good writing for so long that I didn't even realize that I was yearning for it. As I read on the train for those three days, I drank deeply of Miller's words -- a veritable nectar to my parched literary soul.
Miller touches on subjects from his childhood to politics to personal anecdotes -- Miller lived about as full a life as anyone could hope for. He wrote about the arts and world events and even his own plays. I'd laugh out loud at one essay and then turn a page and be in tears. Whether laughing or crying, I was always thinking. I was thinking about the myriad topics that Miller chose to write about and how such a varied collection of works could come together into such a cohesive volume.
What brings them together is Miller's life. These are his experiences, his thoughts. What holds them together is his poetic prose. Arthur Miller lived for these words, and he made these words live for him.
After I finished the book, I was a little depressed for a while. Reading writing that good made me despair a bit of ever aspiring to similar heights of genius. Who am I to try and write when works like Miller's already exist -- and go unread on people's bookshelves for ten years?
But that, to me, is the ultimate beauty of this collection. Despite feeling sharply my inferiority to Miller's genius , I couldn't resist the desire to write. Miller had inspired me. And that is the greatest gift that a writer can give: inspiration.
I may never write as prolifically or as insightfully or as beautifully as Miller. But it's to his credit that he has made me want to try.
Well, the reality wasn't quite what I'd imagined it to be. I do still read a heck of a lot, but it's what I'm reading that was unexpected.
I don't have a lot of money to spend on books, and I also don't have a lot of time to go to the library. As a result, I ended up borrowing books from friends here and there, borrowing lots of children's lit from my sister, who's a teacher, and the kids at my church. Mostly, though, I ended up reading books that have been sitting on my shelf that I never got around to reading.
Most of those books were on the shelf for a reason. I hadn't had any sort of burning desire to read them in the past. Most of them were okay. But none of them were too terribly well-written or compelling. It was a nice way to pass the time, but that was about it. It was getting so that I'd almost forgotten that I'd ever been moved by anything I'd read in a book.
Then, one day, I thought I'd hit rock bottom. There was a book on my shelf that I'd read part of the way through, but that I couldn't really remember at all. It was given to me as a gift from a friend. She asked me to let her borrow it after I was done, and I never lent it to her because I never finished it.
It was a collection of essays by Arthur Miller. I figured I must not remember it because it wasn't that interesting, but I wanted to get it under my literary belt, so I chucked it into my bag and headed for the train.
Nobody can know Brooklyn, because Brooklyn is the world, and besides it is filled with cemeteries, and who can say he knows those people?
That is the first sentence of Echoes Down the Corridor. I read it and was instantly transported to Brooklyn. And then back in time to the Brooklyn of Miller's own childhood. I devoured the essay greedily, savoring his descriptions of the colorful characters of the Midwood section. I could hear the children shouting in the streets, the housewives gossiping in line at the grocery store, the honking of horns. He doesn't describe any of these noises, and yet, somehow, they automatically popped into my mind as he described other things. That is the power of Miller. He conjures.
As soon as I was done with the first essay ("Brooklyn is a lot of villages. And this was one of them." SIGH), I dove breathlessly into the next one. And then the next one.
Something about his writing grabbed hold of me. About halfway through the book, I realized what it was. It was good writing.
In all of the books I'd been reading since I started taking the train, I'd read a lot of interesting stories and fascinating histories. But I hadn't enjoyed reading really good writing for so long that I didn't even realize that I was yearning for it. As I read on the train for those three days, I drank deeply of Miller's words -- a veritable nectar to my parched literary soul.
Miller touches on subjects from his childhood to politics to personal anecdotes -- Miller lived about as full a life as anyone could hope for. He wrote about the arts and world events and even his own plays. I'd laugh out loud at one essay and then turn a page and be in tears. Whether laughing or crying, I was always thinking. I was thinking about the myriad topics that Miller chose to write about and how such a varied collection of works could come together into such a cohesive volume.
What brings them together is Miller's life. These are his experiences, his thoughts. What holds them together is his poetic prose. Arthur Miller lived for these words, and he made these words live for him.
After I finished the book, I was a little depressed for a while. Reading writing that good made me despair a bit of ever aspiring to similar heights of genius. Who am I to try and write when works like Miller's already exist -- and go unread on people's bookshelves for ten years?
But that, to me, is the ultimate beauty of this collection. Despite feeling sharply my inferiority to Miller's genius , I couldn't resist the desire to write. Miller had inspired me. And that is the greatest gift that a writer can give: inspiration.
I may never write as prolifically or as insightfully or as beautifully as Miller. But it's to his credit that he has made me want to try.
April 12, 2023
есетата на Артър Милър могат да служат за образец как трябва да се пишат такива текстове
August 29, 2020
An eclectic mix of essays in chronological order. I found the earlier articles, especially those recounting his days in Brooklyn, to be the most memorable. The more political essays felt dated, though the themes, alas, haven't changed in decades. And those about his plays and the staging in different countries gave me a glimpse into another world, even if it's not my world.
Overall, I enjoyed getting beyond the facade of "Arthur Miller, famous playwright" and learning more about and from this smart, creative, prolific person.
Overall, I enjoyed getting beyond the facade of "Arthur Miller, famous playwright" and learning more about and from this smart, creative, prolific person.
March 11, 2021
I’ve read a lot of Arthur Miller’s work, including his autobiography, but these essays were full of insights into his life and character that I didn’t know before. As usual, his choice of words is careful and eloquent, but not lofty. He writes about his personal life, politics, socioeconomics and the theatre, of course, winds through every topic. I find every one of his views, opinions or assertions to be fair, rational and agreeable. So much so that upon finishing the book I felt sad that he is no longer here to give his take on things. I highly recommend reading this collection of essays.
September 5, 2021
Really enjoyed this, as I have been getting into reading more essays and non-fiction recently, and Arthur Miller will always be one of my favourites. Some essays were more interesting to me than others, but overall he is an intelligent writer writing in a fascinating time, so I will always take some enjoyment from his words.
February 17, 2019
Intelligent, methodical and direct - Arthur Miller's thoughts on life and writing are a definite must read.
October 7, 2011
This is an interesting book and yet, it isn't something I would recommend to someone unless they really love Miller's work. Arthur is a fantastic playwright and he writes a pretty good essay as well. Many of the pieces revolve around either drama or politics and both are worthwhile. If you're interested in learning more about Miller's experiences and thoughts on drama, you will enjoy this book. Otherwise, you may want to find something that will be more interesting and rewarding since there are so many books out there.
January 23, 2013
Miller's writing is amazing; love everything he writes, but this book isnt one you can curl up with and get lost in. It is a book of essays, so I would recommend reading this book while you are reading something else. Loved the essay on returning war veterans and the Nazi trials!
September 11, 2016
All the essays depict a Zeitgeist of the 20th century America from a progressive point of view. All of them are insightful, heartfelt and/or funny, except the one about German Reunification, which was rather paternalistic.
May 2, 2013
I rated it a 4 for the quality of the writing. Some of the stories are compelling and complex while others are less so.
July 12, 2014
An awesome essay collection on the nature of theatre and well... life:)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews