Sunday, December 6, 2009

Arcadia

This was an audio recording of a Tom Stoppard play that was new to me. It has a wonderful structure -- taking place in two parallel timelines, one in the 1800's, and one in present day, and the timelines are interlocked in interesting ways. The theme is entropy, and curiously, how entropy is the sign that time can't run backwards, which makes the "travelling back in time" motif the play uses all the more ironic. Anyway, I love the fact that Tom Stoppard, unlike so many writers, seems to get greater mastery of his form over time.

One note, though, if you listen to this -- DO NOT listen to the interview they stick in the intermission! It is full of spoilers without warning! What kind of idiot puts spoilers about the end of a play in the middle of a play?! It's as bad as those people who put spoilers in the introduction to a book! Or maybe worse!

Huh... a specially produced audio version of a play... how do I classify that? I know... "books."

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for turning me on to an author I have not known about.

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