The Way of the World (Dover Thrift Editions)

Rating:
Summary: Crofts Classic Edition - Good Introduction and Footnotes
Review: I finally settled on a 4-star ranking rather than 3-star due to the exceptional introduction by Henry T. E. Perry in the Crofts Classic edition. I highly recommend this edition for students.

Perry rightly recognizes that the complicated plot offers considerable difficulty to the reader. The play takes place in real time; two hours on stage represents two hours. The reader only learns of earlier, critical events through occasional references to past happenings by different characters at various points in the plot. Thankfully, in a section titled The Argument of the Play, Perry provides a clear, concise outline of these prior events, allowing the reader to comprehend much of what is occurring on stage.

William Congreve is considered a master of dialogue. In his introduction Perry illustrates how Congreve subtly reveals much about the personalities of his characters through their use of language. With this guidance from Perry, I remained alert for the varying styles of dialogue. For example, Lady Wishfort engages in tirades while Mrs. Millamant is witty and brilliant. The sophisticated, good natured Mirabell is erudite as is also the worldly, mean Fainall. Petulant, a pretender to social graces, reveals his limited education through grammatical and vocabulary errors. The language of the indecisive Sir Wilfull Witwoud is that of a rustic Shropshire man. The speech of his half-brother Witwoud is more urbane.

Like other readers, the confusing, shallow, devious romantic relationships reminded me of a TV soap opera. I was unable to develop much interest or sympathy for the key characters. Their problems seemed petty, simply creations of self-centered individuals. Congreve succeeded too well in depicting a wealthy class concerned with only their own needs. At times I was bored with their company.

We all accept that comedies have contrived endings. However, the resolution for The Way of the World seemed too abrupt and too dependent on previously unrevealed information. The modern reader will probably be uncomfortable with the unsatisfactory position of Mrs. Fainall at the play's conclusion.

Rating:
Summary: Rubbish!
Review: Knowing I would be forced to study this work for my A Level in English Lit, I was sure I would enjoy it due to the comedy and satire involved. I was wrong. As the first reviewer claimed, The Way of the World is just like a soap opera! I appreciate the intention of Congreve was to satirise the follies of the upper classes at the time but this does not make the play any less tedious. The plot is unnecessarily complex and rather difficult to follow at times. It all boils down to romance and infidelity in the end, as one might expect. Granted, it is fairly well written, but if there's a stupid plot and irritating, useless characters, no amount of creative flair in writing can compensate. As well as that, the language, while not difficult, is different from that of modernity so makes it awkward. OK, we expect this from an 18th century piece of literature, but it still causes problems for a modern audience/reader. The worst thing was being told by the teacher when we were meant to laugh - that obviously kills any comedy value in the play. Exam boards should add some more modern plays to their syllabus! Not to mention ones with meaningful, interesting plots and characters. This is not worth the paper it's written on, in my humble opinion.

Rating:
Summary: Three's Company Meets All My Children in 1700
Review: William Congreve's "The Way of the World" is a Restoration period comedy of manners which features scheming stock characters and pokes fun at the upper class of the time. The plot is propelled by a series of silly missunderstadings(ala Three's Company) and there is an almost incestous exchange of lovers very reminiscent of any modern day soap opera. The major difficulty of reading this play is that vital information about the character's pasts is being revealed as the present action is being carried out, leaving the reader unclear about who did what with whom and when.
This was by far the most confusing play I have ever read, yet I found much of the dialogue very witty and amusing, particularly the scene in which Millament and Mirabell negotiate the particulars of their marriage contract. While I found the characters rather shallow and hard to relate to, I often found myself chuckling at their masterful wordplay and appreciated the fact that they were so aware of and comfortable with their own self-absorption. I feel "The Way of the World" paints an interesting picture of the mores and ideals(if one can call them ideals!) of the upper class of 1700 and for me, this made the chore of reading it worthwhile.