Rating: 
Summary: Wow!!! A Great Play!
Review: I recently read Tennessee WIlliams's play entitled "A Streetcar Named Desire" and overwhelmed at its greatness in its depth, sophistication, and style. Its a fascinating piece that is sure to be enjoyed by many people in times to come. However, the play is a little too inappropriate for younger persons due to the mature subject content. The play basically is about a southern belle named Blanche Dubois and her stay in New Orleans and experiences with her sister Stella (who is pregnant) and her barbaric and "animal-like" Polish husband, Stanley. Due to Blanche and Stella's aristocratic upbringings, still apparent in Blanche, Stanley almost immediately develops a grudge against her and is determined to make things worse for her. Meanwhile, Blanche acts in an overly charming and high-strung manner to conceal her rather notorious past in her home town of Laurel, MS. Blanche falls in love with Stanley's friend, another "common" fellow but has a striking gentleman quality that she admires, only to lose him in the end for which Stanley is responsible for. Stanley continues to cause her downfall in various ways. In the end, Blanche loses her grasp on reality and ultimately suffers her demise. It is a truely moving story and very, very nicely written. It is an example of true classic American literature that can be appreciated by all cultures of the world. I recommend this play to those who are looking for an easy-to-understand (yet lyrical) play with a unique and thoughtprovoking story line. I will include a few details of the book itself. There are 8 pages of pictures, several taken from the Broadway play and several taken from the Oscar-winning movie. However, the text seems a little too small for my taste and the edition needs to be updated (its from 1973).
Rating:
Summary: Realism vs Idealism
Review: This expressionist literature was, unfortunately, cheapened by Brando movie, because in the play there is arguably no happy ending. The play is about the tension between Stanley, a crude unthinking man who beats his wife from time to time, and Blanche, an English teacher who cannot come to terms with the real world. Blanche comes from the Old World of the South, but she lost her plantation. She lost her husband who apparently was gay and killed himself. So, already she is "lost" before the play has really begun. And she moves temporarily to New Orleans to meet her sister and brother-in-law and finds unappreciatively a grungy and loud neighbourhood. Eventually she is raped by Stan, only to be taken to a mental hospital because no one will take her side of the story. Stan is worlds apart from her: "You may find I'm the unrefined type." Later on she says: "I don't want realism, I want magic."
Who is the better person? Blanche, clearly. Although her way of life is no more workable than his. The interior states of the characters are represented by ominous shadows, moving trains, playing pianos. Hence its similarity to Death of a Salesman. The message of the play, I think, is that too many girls are attracted to crude guys who can't look at the world intellectually. They won't read a book, or draw a picture. But they'll walk around in their underwear, swear to themselves, and beat their spouse. Now scholars will stop me and say, "No, the play is about realism versus idealism." And they're right. But on a more practical level, I think Tennese Williams is sick and tired of seeing girls fall for insensitive men. And so am I.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: I liked the read but I don't see why this work has the acclaim that it does. I must have missed something. I thought the play was entertaining in a dark, depressing manner. But the message of hopelessness that I got from the work was just pitiful. The only characters to be admired in the play were weak victims. The strong are happy and the good are fools. I suppose many that love the work feel a sense of helplessness and hopelessness and find a sort of validation in it. I would not recommend this book for its message but for entertainment there are worse reads out there.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece by Williams
Review: Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire" came to Broadway in 1947, won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, and was made into an award-winning film. But you don't have to wait to see a stage or video version of the play. "Streetcar" is one of those theatrical triumphs which also succeeds in book form as a compelling read. Taking place in New Orleans, "Streetcar" tells the painful story of aging southern belle Blanche DuBois, her sister Stella, Stella's brutish husband Stanley, and the circle of people who frequent Stella's home. Williams creates an incisive examination of human sexuality and socioeconomic difference. His characters come to life with powerful dialogue; this play is a heartbreaking read. A compelling companion text for "Streetcar" would be Eugene O'Neill's classic play "Anna Christie," which won the Pulitzer for the 1921-22 theater season. Like "Streetcar," "Anna" deals with male expectations of female sexuality in a powerful way. Willams' Blanche is truly one of the most memorable female characters in United States literature. "Streetcar" is an unforgettable tapestry of desire, shame, and disturbing revelations. An essential text for anybody with an interest in 20th century drama.
Rating: 
Summary: Rachel's Book Review
Review: This book is excellent. It is, in essence, a play, which makes it more interesting to read than other books. You don't get to see how the characters feel inside, but you can understand it through their words and actions. The book is about two sisters and one husband, and it is how a rich sister comes to live with her poorer sister and husband because the rich one lost all of the family money. It is about how they live together in close quarters and how all the secrets come out. Read it, and a clearer understanding of the human psyche will come to you.
Rating:
Summary: A Humble Literary Criticism of A Streetcar Named Desire
Review: Tennessee Williams utilizes sounds and music throughout A Streetcar Named Desire to change the mood, to foreshadow the future events, and to reveal the inner workings of the character's minds. The use of music, especially the use of polka music, dictates the mood of the play. The rushed, pounding polka inspires a sense of insanity in the reader, and even more so from a person watching the play. The reader can tell that Blanche is slowly going insane just because of the powerful polka music. The music even shows what could have been, such as when, in the beginning of scene nine, Mitch saves Blanche from the tortuous polka. This symbolizes that Mitch could have saved Blanche from her ultimate insanity. The other major music in the book is the "Blue Piano." This music is often in the background when Stanley and Stella are acting like they are in love. This music almost seems to entice the two lovers into an even deeper state of loving each other. In the first scene, the "Blue piano" plays, and the married couple are flirting and having a good time with each other. This musical symbol is very powerful and important, enough so to be the subject of the final stage direction in the play. The play's "happily ever after" ending is characterized by "the swelling of the 'blue piano' and the muted trumpet." Without this symbolism, Stanley and Stella's love for each other would not be as evident, and scenes like the end of scene three would be much more confusing if the music was not being played. These two major pieces of music serve as translators for the reader and film patron; the music foreshadows, interprets character's thoughts and emotions, and changes the mood of the play.
Rating:
Summary: Yep the movie is great, but the book is better
Review: This book was one of my favorite reads in my high school English Class. Blanche Dubois is one of my favorite characters in literature. DESPERATION. The theme of this book is definately desperation. Stella and Stanley live in a low-grade apartment that emminates heat, sweat, and an almost claustophobic effect. The tension between the two is evident from the beginning. Stanley feels Stella is rich. He accuses her of leaving home and "settling" for him....greasy, grimy HIM. Stella just puts up with the verbal abuse, (which she is obviously not accustomed to) and his raunchy friends, puts on a "happy" face, and floats around like a satisfied butterfly. Then Blanche Dubois enters and the book metaphorically speaking, "catches on fire". Blanche is the airheaded and supposedly wealthy sister of Stella. She arrives for a "visit" to see her sister, and how she's doing. Stanley's distaste for old wealth becomes even more apparent when Blanche arrives. You see, Blanche loathes the way Stella is living. The apartment is dirty, stark and unforgiving. Blanche fears the stark light..she incessently bathes, puts scarves and paper lamps over the lights to feel clean, even younger. She does everything possible to feel she is not living amongst the dirt and grime. Her behavior annoys Stanley to no end. He thinks she's a washed up "beauty queen" type who doesn't know what the word "struggle" means. Blanche admits to Stella she's lost their home and there is no money left, nothing to their former life. Hearing this news, Stanley is even more annoyed with the way Blanche continues to "put on airs" , behaving wealthy, when the wealth is gone. Stanley and Blanche can no longer stand each other and a stuggle ensues. Blanche seems to "lose it" gradually, slowly realizing that her looks, her dress, her fathom wealth really do no longer exist. She crumbles. In the movie, Vivian Leigh (who was Scarlett O'Hara) plays Blanche Dubois. The performance is undeniably amazing. Just for those interested, I think it might have been a difficult, but easy role for Ms. Leigh to understand, because in her real life she suffered from Manic Depression. Her own life, health, and romance were suffering in a way very similar to that of her famous character, Blanche Dubois. I strongly suggest reading this book first. It exlores aspects of the characters that the movie stuggles to reveal. Besides, a Fabulous book, followed by the movie and popcorn is always a treat! It truly is a classic
Rating: 
Summary: I had to read it twice
Review: Williams describes in the play different characters and the life of those three characters. There is Blanche, a sentimental woman who is afraid of the light and on the other hand there is Stanley, Stella's husband who is a rude man and likes gambling and drinking. Between these two characters is Stella Blanche's younger sister who really loves her husband and who does everything for him and couldn't live without him. I think it's difficult to get these three characters together for a play with a lot of tension as Williams did. When I read the end for the first time I was a bit surprised because it sounded really brutal. But now I have read it again and I think it's the best thing for Blanche to live in this mental hospital because there she can live her own life.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I found it interesting to see how the story changed during the play. First I thought the visit of Blanche was just a normal one. But I found out, there is a lot more about it, it has probably been an escape from her old place. But the rumours follow her to New Orleans. More and more the story gets strange and Stanley becomes the person responsible for what happens. This I found well done. The end, when Blanche is taken to the lunatic asylum, fits very well with the rest of the plot.
Rating:
Summary: A thrilling plot
Review: Williams has written an interesting play. He talks about social problems wrapped up in a thrilling plot. Reading the play you are confronted every moment with a new, absolutely surprising aspect . One can never really predict the actors' intentions and so Williams achieves a surprising end! I can only recommend this play to all gourmets. I think nobody will be disappointed.
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