Angels in America: Millennium Approaches

Rating:
Summary: Angels in America is a definite eye opener.
Review: Tony Kushner's play Angels in America is a look into the lives of people who at first seem exact opposities. However, as the play unfolds we see how all of their suffering is intertwined. The play focuses mainly on the character Prior, who is a homosexual man living with AIDS in the 80's, and all of the people directly and indirectly involved in his life. Not only did this play open my eyes to the horrors of AIDS, it also had a few humorous lines that were well placed. The play is not just about a man living with AIDS it also looks into feelings we have as human being. These feelings are seen through the characters such as the greedy lawyer, the Valuim addicted abandoned housewife, the ex-lover, and the mother of a Mormon homosexual. All in all this play shows how deep down no matter what differences we have on the surface, deep down we are all people who can suffer just as much as the next person.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting-Could not stop reading-Revelation!!
Review: Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize winning Book, "Angels in America," was a non-stop, adventure story through the lives of many very interesting people! Like most humans, who have a pulse, I enjoy getting involved in other peoples lives, without them knowing it. It is exciting when I accidently pick up someone's phone conversation when I am using a portable phone, should I hang up? or should I listen? I had the same feeling when I read "Angels in America", I almost felt guilty as I read because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. It was like watching a soap opera, I became ingulfed in the drama. Kushner kept my mind wondering on what was on the horizon by craftly switching back from one scene to another, but at the same time he did not let me think to long. Personally, being a white, hetrosexual male, I do not experience racism, sexism, or any descrimination first hand, (at least I don't think so)but I do see it all around me. Kushner drops the reader into the minds of many different characters, such as; homosexuals, AIDS infected individuals, black drag queens, corrupt politicans, mormans, and crazies to name a few. By doing this Kushner reaches all the readers no matter what their past experiences are, and puts everyone at an even level. This even level is of the view point of the characters. After reading these different personalities and "living" with these characters through "Angels in America", the reader understands their struggle for every day existence. In conclusion, I think that reading this book has enlighted me and I would reccomend it to everyone! (over eighteen of course) "Angels in America" is truly a great piece of American literature and shows the struggle for Americans to fullfill there dreams, and the nightmares that sometimes occur in the process.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting-Could not stop reading-Revelation!!
Review: Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize winning Book, "Angels in America," was a non-stop, adventure story through the lives of many very interesting people! Like most humans, who have a pulse, I enjoy getting involved in other peoples lives, without them knowing it. It is exciting when I accidently pick up someone's phone conversation when I am using a portable phone, should I hang up? or should I listen? I had the same feeling when I read "Angels in America", I almost felt guilty as I read because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. It was like watching a soap opera, I became ingulfed in the drama. Kushner kept my mind wondering on what was on the horizon by craftly switching back from one scene to another, but at the same time he did not let me think to long. Personally, being a white, hetrosexual male, I do not experience racism, sexism, or any descrimination first hand, (at least I don't think so)but I do see it all around me. Kushner drops the reader into the minds of many different characters, such as; homosexuals, AIDS infected individuals, black drag queens, corrupt politicans, mormans, and crazies to name a few. By doing this Kushner reaches all the readers no matter what their past experiences are, and puts everyone at an even level. This even level is of the view point of the characters. After reading these different personalities and "living" with these characters through "Angels in America", the reader understands their struggle for every day existence. In conclusion, I think that reading this book has enlighted me and I would reccomend it to everyone! (over eighteen of course) "Angels in America" is truly a great piece of American literature and shows the struggle for Americans to fullfill there dreams, and the nightmares that sometimes occur in the process.

Rating:
Summary: A triumphant landmark of the U.S. theater
Review: Tony Kushner's two part epic play "Angels in America" istruly a landmark of United States literature. The two parts of theplay (subtitled "Millennium Approaches" and"Perestroika") together represent a passionate andintelligent exploration of American life during the era of PresidentRonald Reagan. Kushner peoples his play with individuals who are forthe most part "marginal" in some way in U.S. culture. Hischaracters include Mormons, gay men, men with AIDS, Jews, a drugaddict, and an African-American drag queen. These various perspectivesand voices allow Kushner to create some fascinating dialogues aboutthe "American dream"--and about the nightmares that can goalong with it.

Kushner's cast of characters is excellently drawn, butperhaps his most astounding creation is influential lawyer Roy Cohn, afictionalized version of a real historical figure. A gay Jew who ishimself viciously homophobic, Kushner's Cohn is grotesque, hilarious,frightening, and seductive all at once. This character allows Kushnerto make fascinating statements about power, politics, and sexualidentity.

Also brilliant is Kushner's use of Mormonism and itstheology as an integral component of the play. Kushner is the firstliterary artist I know of who has used Mormon themes and motifs insuch a consistently compelling and intelligent way. Kushner is, in myopinion, neither a proselytizer for nor a basher of Mormonism, but hispresentation of troubled Mormon characters and his apparent satirizingof some aspects of Mormon theology both strike me as potentiallycontroversial. Because Mormonism is a religion founded in the U.S.,this aspect of Kushner's play accentuates the essential"American-ness" of the piece.

Kushner achieves a stunningblend of politically charged realism and fantastic, even playfulmysticism in "Angels." His writing is sharp and cutting attimes, and elsewhere tender and haunting. And the play is often quitefunny. Although the action of the play focuses on the Reagan era,"Angels" often takes in a much larger sweep of U.S., andeven world, history.

"Angels in America" is a fascinatingmeditation on power and its abuse, on disease and healing, on honestyto oneself and to others, and on pluralism and bigotry. A masterpieceof 20th century literature, this is a play to be seen. But whether ornot you have seen it, it is also a work to be read and pondered.

Rating:
Summary: Tony Kushner has the ability to enthral the reader.
Review: Tony Kushner's two part play, Angels In America, although confusing at times, enthrals the reader to the point that he or she cannot put the book down. The graphic nature of the book is somewhat grotesque yet it attracted me and left me wanting to read more. Kushner's power of great detail is an eye opening experience that made me realize and understand that life isn't always what it seems to be. Many of the characters appear to be working their way up to the American dream but in actuality, their dishonesty and inability to openly admit their true sexual feelings turns this wonderful dream into a hellish nightmare. Kushner does an excellent job of keeping the reader interested to the fullest extent, but some methods he uses, at times, were somewhat unclear and confusing. The constant split scenes and references to previous parts of the book made me keep turning back to earlier sections of the play. I had to re-read these sections and page ahead to where I last left off in order to fully comprehend Kushner's main point. He made the play very entertaining to me by adding an element of fantasy. The character Prior is visited by an angel, and two ancestors. Harper is constantly being taken from place to place by her imaginary friend Mr. Lies. Overall I found that Kushner possess the ability to keep the reader in tune at all times, an ability many writers do not have.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting insight into the lives of homosexuals
Review: When I first started to read Angels in America, I wasn't quite sure of what to expect. My first thought was that it would be boring or slow moving because it's topic didn't quite interest me too much. However, once I started reading before I knew it 50 pages had gone by. It is written in a way that allows a change of pace in the story. It isn't just about a homosexual and his wife, it involves many other people who impact their lives. And we look into each one separately, so it provides for a break. It is also written well because it actually gives you a feel for the character's lives. It is like you are there watching as everything is going on. Characters are exciting, they liven up the story with visions, hallucinations, and conflicts throughout the play. One particular concept that I liked about the story was that it showed the impact of a homosexual who is married to a woman, yet sleeping with another man. It is interesting to see the effects of such a relationship and there was the question of if, or how she was going to find out. If asked, I would have to recommend Angels in America to anyone who wanted to read a well-crafted and interesting story.

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