Starring Rosemary Harris as the vulnerable Blanche DuBois, this dazzling drama of love, lust, and unbridled passion set against the steamy backdrop of New Orleans is an unrivaled classic of modern American theatre. This recording features the cast of the smash revival in 1973 at Lincoln Center.
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A Streetcar Named Desire (New Directions Paperbook)
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Lyrical and poetic and human and heartbreaking and memorable and funny.--Francis Ford Coppola
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About the Author
Tennessee Williams (1911 - 1983) first won recognition with the Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie in 1945, followed by his masterpiece, A Streetcar named Desire in 1947. Later hits included Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly Last Summer, Sweet Bird of Youth, and Night of the Iguana.
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First Sentence
The exterior of a two-story corner building on a street in New Orleans which is named Elysian Fields and runs between the L & N tracks and the river. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
The exterior of a two-story corner building on a street in New Orleans which is named Elysian Fields and runs between the L & N tracks and the river. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams is a play about class and gender, and how they interact in a specific time period and place, much more than it is about individual characters. The main characters embody some of the most stereotypical characteristics of all time. Stanley Kowalski - the male lead - is a working class man who uses strength to succeed in his job and his marriage. His wife, Stella, demurely accepts Stanley's verbal and physical abuse because she loves him. Their world is a perfect balance of male/ female, active/ passive, love/ fear, and rough/gentle, until Stella's sister comes to visit. Blanche is much more rounded character, but she is stereotypically a southern belle and a snob, to the point where she lies about her age and how much she drinks because it is the ladylike thing to do. The play unfolds rather fascinatingly, and it quite well written - dramatic but with enough humor to make it bearable. There are an abundance of very obvious symbols, which might tire the reader after awhile. Desire covers a lot of themes, including, as I said before, class and gender, desire and the south, which may be too much for one play, but Williams pulls it off well. The reader comes away with a good sense of the New Orleans working class after the war. A good play, but probably a better performance than read, as befits a play.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By C. Dey
Format:Paperback
I read this play for school and I had heard of it before but I thought it was a novel, not a play. Before reading this play, the only plays I had read were Cyrano and quite a few by Shakespeare which are plays from before the 20th century I am pretty sure. Luckily for me A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE was written in the 20th century so I found it easy to understand and follow. The characters were well developed (though I am not surprised seeing as Vivian Leigh starred in the film version).
This play was also funny, especially with the character Stanley. Some lines in this play I will not easily forget and some parts I would even like to write down for future reference.
What I really liked about this play was that all or almost all of the scenes were in Stanley and Stella's house (of course they didn't just stay there, there was mention of places they had been off stage). I just found that to be comforting and easy to visualize and I really don't like change so this suited me just fine.
Because this play was so easy to visualize, I could picture it and hear the actors voices. I loved Mitch and Blanche together and all the characters had likable and not likable characteristics, making them realistic.
I read that Tennessee Williams also wrote THE GLASS MENAGERIE, I want to read that as well.
4.5/5
reviewed by Callie at Handle Like Hendrix
This play was also funny, especially with the character Stanley. Some lines in this play I will not easily forget and some parts I would even like to write down for future reference.
What I really liked about this play was that all or almost all of the scenes were in Stanley and Stella's house (of course they didn't just stay there, there was mention of places they had been off stage). I just found that to be comforting and easy to visualize and I really don't like change so this suited me just fine.
Because this play was so easy to visualize, I could picture it and hear the actors voices. I loved Mitch and Blanche together and all the characters had likable and not likable characteristics, making them realistic.
I read that Tennessee Williams also wrote THE GLASS MENAGERIE, I want to read that as well.
4.5/5
reviewed by Callie at Handle Like Hendrix
By Manley H
Format:Paperback
I love watching plays but never really enjoyed reading them too much because of the lack of progression in my opinion. But I picked this up and just had to keep reading it! It's simple but interesting to have you hooked. The characters are interesting as well and all have different personalities that I think those reading will get a laugh out of and maybe even frustrated over.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Crushing play
Such a great play. It sucks you in and puts you face to face with Stanley. What an antihero, too. Engrossing and depressing - worth your time.
Published on Dec 13 2007 by Benjamin Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Poignant.
"A Streetcar Named Desire" is such a raw and captivating play. With luxurious characters full of rage, lust, and refutation, you'll be transported into the realm of... Read more
Published on Mar 26 2004 by MAB
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
Yes, this is one of the most brilliant pieces of writing ever to grace the stage of the American theatre. Read more
Published on Mar 4 2004
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic
This play is simply wonderful. Williams crafts magnificent characters, especially Stanley and Blanche. Read more
Published on Feb 25 2004 by K. Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars
But'cha are Blanche! Ya are!!!!!
It sounds cliched to say this is a masterpiece of American Theatre, but that's exactly what it is. Being privelaged to have seen it on the stage no less than six times, and having... Read more
Published on Feb 9 2004 by "chassymore6"
4.0 out of 5 stars
*A Streetcar named Desire*
"A Streetcar named Desire" is one of Tennessee Williams' masterpieces,
published in 1947. Read more
published in 1947. Read more
Published on Jan 19 2004 by Lisa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fallen Woman
It amazes me how few people young people have actually read through "A Streetcar Named Desire". Read more
Published on Jan 18 2004 by Little Old Me
5.0 out of 5 stars
great storytelling
This book is very good, I am glad I was forced to read it in school.
Published on Jan 1 2004 by Dance Dance Dance
4.0 out of 5 stars
Struggles of the South
A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, is a story of gender discrimination, insanity, and rape. Read more
Published on Sep 24 2003 by Alex Conner
4.0 out of 5 stars
Strugles of the South
A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, is a story of gender discrimination, insanity, and rape. Read more
Published on Sep 24 2003 by Alex Conner
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