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Previews available in: English German This edition doesn't have a description yet. Can you add one? Subjects Readers, German language, German drama, German, Swiss Drama, Drama, Friedrich Durrenmatt, Tr. into English, Translations into English, English drama, Translations from German Book DetailsEdition NotesTranslation of Der Besuch der alten Dame. ClassificationsLibrary of Congress PT2607.U493 B43 1973The Physical ObjectPagination109 p. ; Number of pages109No community reviews have been submitted for this work.
Friedrich Durrenmatt was born in Switzerland in 1921 and has long been considered one of the world's leading German-language playwrights. His plays have received international acclaim, with The Visit, Romulus the Great, and The Physicists having been performed on Broadway and in major capitals throughout the world. Dürrenmatt's concerns are timeless, but they are also the product of his Swiss vantage during the cold war: his key plays explore such themes as guilt by passivity, the refusal of responsibility, greed and political decay, and the tension between justice and freedom. Durrenmatt died in December 1990. Joel Agee is the author of two memoirs, Twelve Years: An American Boyhood in East Germany and In The House Of My Fear. His translations of Heinrich von Kleist's Penthesilea and Hans Erich Nossack's Der Untergang won the Helen and Kurt Wolff Prize and the Lois Roth Prize of the Modern Language Association, respectively. In 2007 he was a finalist for the Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize and received the Alta National Translation for his translation of the Selected Writings of Friedrich Dürrenmatt.
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Besuch der Alten Dame = The Visit, Friedrich Dürrenmatt A billionaire woman returns to her hometown on a terrible condition. She is ready to give a huge fortune to the people of the city in exchange for the killing of his youthful lover. The Visit is a 1956 tragicomic play by Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt. The story opens with the town of Güllen preparing for the arrival of famed billionaire Claire Zachanassian, who grew up there. Güllen has fallen on hard times, and the
townspeople ho A billionaire woman returns to her hometown on a terrible condition. She is ready to give a huge fortune to the people of the city in exchange for the killing of his youthful lover. The Visit is a 1956 tragicomic play by Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt. The story opens with the town of Güllen preparing for the arrival of famed billionaire Claire
Zachanassian, who grew up there. Güllen has fallen on hard times, and the townspeople hope that Claire will provide them with much-needed funds. Anton Schill is the owner of Güllen's general store and the most popular man in town. He was Claire's lover when they were young, and agrees with the mayor that the task of convincing her to make a donation should fall to him. ... تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز سی ام ماه آوریل سال1976میلادی عنوان: ملاقات بانوی سالخورده: کمدی تراژدی در سه پرده؛
نویسنده فردریک دورنمات؛ مترجم حمید سمندریان؛ مشخصات نشر تهران، مروارید، سال1342، در99ص؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، چاپخانه سکه، سال1351، در98ص؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، امیرخانی، سال1382؛ در156ص؛ شابک9647190247؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، بردبام، سال1383؛ در156ص؛ شابک9649600213؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، نشر قطره، سال1389؛ در159ص؛ شابک9786001190049؛ چاپ سوم، نشر قطره، سال1390؛ چاپهای پنجم و ششم سال1392؛ موضوع نمایشنامه های نویسندگان سوئیس - سده20م زنی بسیار ثروتمند، با شرطی وحشتناک، به زادگاهش بازمی‌گردد؛ او حاضر است، در ازای
کشته شدن معشوق دوران جوانی خود، ثروتی هنگفت در اختیار مردمان شهر قرار دهد؛ پرده اول: پرده نخست با آماده شدن شهر «گولن»، برای ورود میلیاردر معروف «کلر زاخاناسیان»، که بزرگ شده ی «گولن» است، آغاز میشود؛ شهر «گولن»، در وضعیت اقتصادی دشواری قرار گرفته، و مردمان شهر، امیدوار هستند، که «کلر»، نیاز به بودجه ی مورد نظرشان را، برطرف کند؛ ...؛ «آلفرد ایل»، صاحب فروشگاه اصلی شهر «گولن»، و محبوبترین مرد شهر، که در زمان جوانی، عاشق «کلر» بوده، با شهردار شهر «گولن»، در اینکه، وظیفه ی متقاعد کردن
«کلر»، برای یاری مالی به شهر را، به ایشان بسپارند، موافق است؛ «کلر»، همراه با دو نوکر شوهرش، یک پیش‌خدمت، دو خواجه ی کور، یک تابوت، و یک پلنگ سیاه در قفس، و اثاثیه ها، از راه می‌رسد؛ «کلر» آغاز به حرف زدن، با «آلفرد ایل» میکند، با وجود اینکه حالا هر دو، در دهه ی شصتم زندگی خود، بسر می‌برند، و به طور قابل توجهی، اضافه وزن دارند، «ایل» وانمود میکند «کلر» را، به زیباترین شکل میبیند؛ «کلر»، توجه «آلفرد ایل» را، به پای پروتزی، و دست مصنوعی خود، جلب میکند؛ پس از استقرار در هتل «گولدن آپوستل»،
«کلر» به مردمان شهر، که در خارج از ساختمان، برای یک جشن استقبال، گرد هم آمده اند، میپیوندد؛ «کلر»، اعلام میکند یک میلیارد (احتمالاً فرانک سوئیس)، نیمی برای شهر، و نیمی برای تقسیم میان خانواده های شهر، اهدا خواهد کرد؛ اهالی شهر، شادی میکنند، اما شور آنها، زمانیکه مستخدم «کلر»، گام پیش می‌گذارد، و شرط «کلر»، برای اهدای مبلغ یاری به شهر را، اعلام میکند، فروکش میکند؛ ...؛ پرده دوم: با گذر زمان، «آلفرد»، که اکنون از شرط «کلارا»، در مورد خودش آگاه هست، با دیدن شهروندان «گولن»، که برای خرید
به مغازه اش میآیند؛ کم کم دچار توهمی شدید میشود؛ به ویژه وقتی میبیند، که مردمان وسایل گرانبهایی را، از مغازه اش خریداری میکنند؛ «آلفرد» از روی کنجکاوی به دیدن پلیس، و شهردار شهر، که آنها نیز، به تازگی از مغازه اش وسایل گرانبهایی را، خریداری کرده اند، میرود؛ اما آنها، به او اطمینان خاطر میدهند، که خطری از جانبشان «آلفرد» را، تهدید نمی‌کند؛ سپس از سر اضطراب، به دیدن کشیش میرود؛ کشیش نیز، نخست تلاش میکند تا او را آرام کند؛ اما سرانجام اعتراف میکند، که به آنها پولی پرداخت شده است، و به «آلفرد» توصیه
میکند، که فرار کند؛ ...؛ پرده سوم: «کلارا»، با شخص تازه ای، در کلیسای شهر «گولن» ازدواج میکند؛ معلم مدرسه، و دکتر شهر «گولن»، به دیدن «کلارا» میروند، و برای او توضیح میدهند، که از لحظه ی ورود او به شهر، مردم بدهی قابل توجهی را، بالا آورده اند؛ معلم مدرسه، به او التماس میکند، که دست از خواسته اش برای انتقام بکشد، و با قلب گشاده مردم شهر را، مورد لطف و یاری خود قرار دهد؛ ...؛ تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 05/12/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 24/11/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Dürrenmatt is simply hilarious. I had to read this for school and I'm telling you, in my 12 years of school there are not many books that I enjoyed but I definitely enjoyed the Visit.
Nov 05, 2014 James rated it it was amazing Friedrich Durrenmatt is a wonderful Swiss writer who wrote some of the
sparest and most compelling words I have ever read. Words which challenge, confound and cause you to happily ponder away for hours while never preaching. The play takes on utilitarianism with a broadside aimed at the famous Bentham quote "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong". In a small Central European city which bears a marked resemblance to an entire number of german sp In a small Central European city which bears a marked resemblance to an entire number of german speaking
swiss towns, the residents are poverty stricken following the decline of all the towns major businesses. Therefore the upcoming visit of an old lady who is both a billionairess and born in the town sets of a fever pitch of excitement. Basically the return of the prodigal son with more bells. The salvation comes with a price, namely the man who ruined her is to be executed by the town for the price of a billion. While this may seem like a rather simplistic parable in the hands of Durrenmatt it
turns into a spellbinding thriller wth the dread ratcheted up expertly page by page as the twon convulses itself around to make the immoral moral. My favourite part was the realization by the man condemmed that despite the protestations of solidarity across the town the good citizens were beginning to spend just that little bit more freely then before. A great read that vaults over the obvious into the true.
Sep 22, 2020 Markus rated it really liked it The Visit Dürrenmatt is a Swiss author of the early twentieth century. He wrote novels and plays in Swiss-German language. Dürrenmatt is a Swiss author of the early twentieth century. He wrote novels and plays in Swiss-German language.
You can’t buy justice. Or can you? That is the question when
billionaire-by-mulltiple-marriages Claire Zachanassian returns to her home village, offering the town 1 billion for murdering her former love who wronged her grievously in the past. Will the people cave? A brilliant, sarcastic tragicomedy on moral corruption, justice, and materialism - a German classic.
Apr 04, 2007 Pia rated it it was amazing Brilliant! I've compared this book to fine German engineering... every perfected detail has a purpose and nothing is superfluous. Swiss born Durrenmatt was a minister's son who lived through WW2, and spent his life working and re-working (and re-re-working!) these plots while figuring out his own standings on faith and human nature. He's an intellectual but not an idealist, believing in the goodness of human nature while knowing full well its limits. The book is rich with insights into the hypoc Brilliant! I've compared this book to fine German engineering... every perfected detail has a purpose and nothing is superfluous. Swiss born Durrenmatt was a minister's son who lived through WW2, and spent his life working and re-working (and re-re-working!) these plots while figuring out his own standings on faith and human nature. He's an intellectual but not an idealist, believing in the goodness of human nature while knowing full well its limits. The book is rich with insights into the hypocracies in human nature ("Everyone can be bought"), but I wouldn't call him a cynic, since he's not particularly judgemental about this fact, and because he still believes that good/bad deeds have their consequences... and by consequences, I don't mean other-worldly, he's a humanist, but on this earth, our sub-conscious acts as our own inner policeman.. I personally find great comfort in that thought. ...more
Feb 26, 2018 Jonfaith rated it really liked it There’s a lurid whisper of dread in The Visit. Elements of
Bergman’s Summer With Monika find themselves in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. We only need the onion choppers from Die Blechtrommel. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this play but was pleasantly surprised. The author has a measured grasp of a simple proud populace concealing an atrocity. The hypocrisy of station exculpates but only to a degree.
Human morality exists on a pivot point between privation and pleasure. The greater a person’s need, the easier it is to tempt them away from their
morality with some promise of pleasure. This is the more generous reading of this play. The less generous reading is simply that humans are bribeable and quite willing to abandon their values for the right price. Durrenmatt’s most interesting observation, I think, is that the abandonment of values happens all at once. We seem to go through a ‘process’ Human morality exists on a pivot point between privation and pleasure. The greater a person’s need,
the easier it is to tempt them away from their morality with some promise of pleasure. This is the more generous reading of this play. The less generous reading is simply that humans are bribeable and quite willing to abandon their values for the right price. Durrenmatt’s most interesting observation, I think, is that the abandonment of values happens all at once. We seem to go through a ‘process’ where we argue with ourselves, and eventually come to a conclusion that, for whatever reason,
throwing over our values is the right course of action. He suggests though that actually we decide right away; and that the ‘process’ we go through is not a real inner debate, but more a justifying of a decision we have already made. This exact thing happened to me the other day when I looked at a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Also he seems to be saying there is a kind of inherent sin in our pleasures that curses our enjoyment of them, whether we recognize that curse or not -- That someone
or something somewhere is being sacrificed to our pleasure.
Really loved this tragicomedy. Dürrenmatt's works are timeless, but they are also the product of a Swiss vantage during cold war. In "The Visit" or in German "Der Besuch der alten Dame" an old lady who becomes the wealthiest person in the world returns to the village that cast her out as a young woman and offers riches to the town in exchange for the life of Alfred Ill, who once disgraced her. It’s all about an immoral deal: if the town wants her financial support, she wants something in return. Really loved this tragicomedy. Dürrenmatt's works are timeless, but they are also the product of a Swiss vantage during cold war. In "The Visit" or in German "Der Besuch der alten Dame" an old lady who becomes the wealthiest person in the world returns to the village that cast her out as a young woman and offers riches to the town in exchange for the life of Alfred Ill, who once disgraced her. It’s all about an immoral deal: if the town wants her financial support, she wants something in return. Therefore she brought a coffin for the man who did her wrong 45 years ago… A tragicomedy which explores issues of love, money, power, and justice. The Visit is brilliant in its depiction of the subtle progression of the townspeoples’ attitudes. It alludes to countries that start wars under the pretenses of justice and attempts to show how people can view this as normal and even inevitable, a thought-provoking play that encourages us to contemplate these critical questions. Dürrenmatt at his best! ...more
Jan 08, 2019 Josh Caporale rated it really liked it 4.5 stars I have wanted to read more
plays for a few months and am hoping to incorporate them a bit more into the Literary Gladiators agenda. The combination of my interest in plays, the theatre of the absurd (though Durrenmatt would not have identified as such), and Swiss culture led me to Friedrich Durrenmatt and what has been deemed his most recognizable play in The Visit. Whew, this was incredibly absurd, incredibly off the wall, but incredibly raw, honest, and amazing! The Visit takes the in I have wanted to read more plays for a few months and am hoping to incorporate them a bit more into the Literary Gladiators agenda. The combination of my interest in plays, the theatre of the absurd (though Durrenmatt would not have identified as such), and Swiss culture led me to Friedrich Durrenmatt and what has been deemed his most recognizable play in The Visit. Whew, this was incredibly absurd, incredibly off the wall, but incredibly raw,
honest, and amazing! The Visit takes the interests of society and challenges their values in the way that whether or not it would be worth another life, no matter how flawed they may be. At the same time, it explores the guilt of particular people and whether or not penance is meant to be indefinite. This particular play revolves around A VISIT from Claire Zachanassian, a billionaire on her seventh marriage (by the end of the play, she will be on her ninth as per the character guide at the
beginning) and has made her riches through each of these marriages, in particular one to the owner of an Armenian oil company, makes her way to her hometown of Gullen (which translates to "excrement"), to see her now rundown hometown and offer them a billion dollars. The contingency to this offer, though, is the life of Alfred Ill (in some versions Anton Schill). Ill is a respected general store owner in the town that is in line to become Gullen's mayor when the current mayor steps down, but due
to circumstances that changed Claire's life, she is looking for "justice" and that is in the form of Ill's life. This play explores the guilt of one man's actions and the paranoia that it can develop. There is also an explanation of women in society, the power that money has on ALL people, the material values people have, and the role of all forms of media, one particular moment involving the responses that they so heavily desire being a favorite of mine. The play itself responded to this
brilliantly! I felt there was a great sense of intensity among all of the characters and it reflects on how people respond to others and how disposable they can be for "the greater good" or fulfillment of their material values. The reason I bumped it down half a star was because Ill did not show remorse toward Claire, despite the fact he continued to interact with her throughout the play. Perhaps this could be a reflection of his coming to terms, but while there were moments he was fighting for
his life, there were no moments where Ill tried to sort this out with Claire and work something out. This play does break fourth wall, but does so in a clever way. This play was clearly written with the intent of being performed, even going to the point of having characters portraying trees and birds in the forest, having chairs arranged to form a vehicle, and most hysterically, giving permission to have husbands seven, eight, and nine be performed by the same person. I could only imagine
that they just have him change wigs and stick-on facial hair. This is a weird and different kind of play, but one that is very reflective on society and is leaving me thinking much beyond the page. It is definitely worth checking out and holds a sense of relevance with everything that is going on today.
Updated review/commentary: Timing, it is said, is everything. As I reached the section on The Visit (Der Besuch der Alten Dame) in Peter Rüedi's
interminable biography of Friedrich Dürrenmatt, it coincided with the last Sunday before the presidential election. Dürrenmatt’s writing always seems to be girded by a strong intuition, perhaps clairvoyance is more accurate, perhaps never more so than in The Visit. Three things really stood out for me on this rereading: Rüedi recalls a quote a commentator Timing, it is said, is everything. As I reached the section on The Visit (Der Besuch der Alten Dame) in Peter Rüedi's interminable biography of Friedrich Dürrenmatt, it coincided with the last Sunday before the presidential election. Dürrenmatt’s writing always seems to be girded by a strong intuition, perhaps
clairvoyance is more accurate, perhaps never more so than in The Visit. Three things really stood out for me on this rereading: Rüedi recalls a quote a commentator wrote about Jeremias Gotthelf’s story The Black Spider (Die schwarze Spinne) which, like The Visit, is a story about collective evil or, to put more precisely, how each story is about “the
democratization of evil” (die Demokratisierung des Bösen). One of the smaller, but more consequential roles, is that of the teacher who has become the town drunk. In his conversation with Ill, whose death is demanded at a price by Claire Zachnassian, he not only predicts that his fellow villagers will kill Ill, but that the cause of his drinking was the realization that he would join them, despite his will. The last was the role of the press in the climax of the play. As Rüedi
rightly observes, their behavior is grotesque in that they only feel vindicated if they heighten the fear of the villagers. They do not report, they are active participants in a macabre spectacle. Is there a better way to sum up the Trump campaign than through these three observations about a play written in 1955? Original review: What is your price? These are just a few of the many questions this, my favorite, play poses. It is unquestionably Dürrenmatt's masterpiece. Like the best of Shakespeare, once read, this story might compel you to return to it over and over again. Dürrenmatt had a genius that foresaw what were to become common ideas and notions years before anyone else did. In this play, he foresees how media influence can corrupt communities and how mass psychology can convince people to violate their consciences in favor of
material, short term gain. To me, this is one of the essential texts of the 20th century.
"The Visit" stands as a small masterpiece of misanthropy, a play whose cynicism is so thickly layered that the greed driving the plot at its surface seems almost the least of its characters' sins. For Durrenmatt, people, not money,
are the root of all evil. Unlike Miller's "The Crucible", a contemporary play, this is not an exercise in puritanical hand-wringing but a black and grotesque Grimm fairy story. At the centre of this fairy story is the witch to end all witches - Claire Zachanassian; th Unlike Miller's "The Crucible", a contemporary play, this is not an exercise in puritanical hand-wringing but a black and grotesque Grimm fairy story. At the centre of this fairy story is the witch to end all witches - Claire Zachanassian; the richest woman in the world who returns to her bankrupt hometown, Gullen, to avenge a wrong done to her. Claire offers the good townspeople millions of marks in exchange
for the life of the popular Anton Schill (renamed "Ill" in the Valency translation) who seduced and then abandoned her many years earlier. The Gulleners are insulted by the notion that they would even consider executing their well-loved friend for money, but there's never any doubt that they will do exactly that. The ghoulish fun and dark horror in "The Visit" comes from watching as the noose tightens on the town, forcing the townspeople to reveal their ugly true colours in ever more vicious
ways. This is a black, viscious and disturbing play that needs to be seen again soon.
Jan 29, 2021 Liam O'Leary rated it really liked it
Featured in my Jan 2021 Wrap Up This is a fantastic play as it explores a fundamental mechanic of theatre — what would happen if all but one of the characters turned evil. It's paranoia on stage, and refreshingly, one of few plays that doesn't hinge action on the shock-value of sex and drug use. It appears trite and contrived at first but it's not
aiming for realism, it's attacking an ideal — that even the most pleasant community can be run into the ground by bribery and vendetta. It misses 5* on This is a fantastic play as it explores a fundamental mechanic of theatre — what would happen if all but one of the characters turned evil. It's paranoia on stage,
and refreshingly, one of few plays that doesn't hinge action on the shock-value of sex and drug use. It appears trite and contrived at first but it's not aiming for realism, it's attacking an ideal — that even the most pleasant community can be run into the ground by bribery and vendetta. It misses 5* only in being too simple and short to be deep enough to have wider messages, but an adaptation of this that goes beyond it could be a real hit.
i do hope this is the very last time i have to read this for school.. or else i will sue. 2nd read: 2020
Mar 12, 2018 Jana rated it really liked it Final read for our Postal Book Club Round #5 I enjoy reading drama. And our Swiss member picked a Swiss author, so this is very appropriate. My favourite quote: "Congrats on your brats" I enjoy reading drama. And our Swiss member picked a Swiss author, so this is very appropriate. My favourite quote: "Congrats on your brats"
Dec 29, 2012 Nathan Black rated it really liked it This is an odd play, the kind you have to read several times
before you really get it. While reading it I was wondering if the action would have played out differently in my mind if I were reading it in the original language. It seems that language would flow more smoothly and the ideas would be better presented that way. Not that the translation was poor because it certainly was not, and the story itself comes through lucidly, I just usually wonder what it would be like to read a play in its o This is an odd
play, the kind you have to read several times before you really get it. While reading it I was wondering if the action would have played out differently in my mind if I were reading it in the original language. It seems that language would flow more smoothly and the ideas would be better presented that way. Not that the translation was poor because it certainly was not, and the story itself comes through lucidly, I just usually wonder what it would be like to read a play in its original
language.
Among the many explorations of the notion and the phenomena of evil this is on the top of my list of darkness, ranked even higher than the experiments of Milgram and Zimbardo. But don't look for Mengele in this play for he is in another book by Dürrenmatt (Der Verdacht). Here you will find Eichmann, the spanish inquisition, the malleus maleficarum, in a way even aspects of 1984 by reading closely. The Crucible by Arthur Miller? Yes, but from a point of view slightly different. Mad Emperors like Among the many explorations of the notion and the phenomena of evil this is on the top of my list of darkness, ranked even higher than the experiments of Milgram and Zimbardo. But don't look for Mengele in this play for he is in another book by Dürrenmatt (Der Verdacht). Here you will find Eichmann, the spanish inquisition, the malleus maleficarum, in a way even aspects of 1984 by reading closely. The Crucible by Arthur Miller? Yes, but from a point of view slightly different. Mad Emperors like Akhenaten or maybe Caligula? Yes, just read closely. Our present day civilisation not so much killing by slavery anymore - or call it mission or colonisation, or by genocide - but by destroying the world for future generations (our children) just in order to buy some fancy new yellow shoes? - it's all in the play. Have fun. You will find something more evil than in Lord of the Flies or Heart of Darkness. No madness or paranoia will be there in the end, just pure calculus - another reviewer mentioned utilitarism and maybe meant the Bentham calculus. And pure calculus is known as a symptom of psychopathy. (Read Kevin Dutton for example.) Cold Numbers make the world go round since they have been stolen from the philosophers by the businessmen. These numbers don't mean anything but being more or less than other numbers i.e having more or less money and power than others. It doesn't matter if they are primes or even and so on. And it doesn't matter at all what person you are when and if evil emerges as a social psychological effect. They will get you if it serves them well. But before they will look at you in another way, to see you as an enemy, see as dangerous. It might be your being black, tall, small, ugly, cute, jewish, blue-eyed, red-haired or whatever. For another book on Machiavellianism at it's best read Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power. Read also: "Andorra" by Max Frisch, "The Lesson" and "The Rhinoceri" by Ionesco. ...more
Aug 31, 2008 Cecilia rated it liked it This is another play about how absolutism, no matter what the purpose or just cause, is dangerous and savage and only brings about brutality. In this play a small backwater economically failing little German town gets a visit from a millionairess who grew up there. The town,
knowing of her generosity elsewhere hopes she will put them back on track and depends on her high school sweetheart to get her to agree to give the money. She does, but only in exchange for the death of her high school sweeth In this play a small backwater economically failing little German town gets a
visit from a millionairess who grew up there. The town, knowing of her generosity elsewhere hopes she will put them back on track and depends on her high school sweetheart to get her to agree to give the money. She does, but only in exchange for the death of her high school sweetheart, who it turns out got her pregnant way back when, and then denies paternity, getting her kicked out of town, having to give up the baby, and become a prostitute (which is how she ultimately meets her first husband,
the millionaire). So, she demands justice in exchange for giving the town a billion dollars, 1/2 going to the town and 1/2 to be split up among the residents. All of a sudden everyone in town starts buying things on credit. Guess what happens next...
"Ich beschreibe Menschen, nicht Marionetten, eine Handlung, nicht eine Allegorie, stelle eine Welt auf, keine Moral". The quotation cited above is useful information, because I came up with some weird and rather nasty interpretations of this play while reading it. Dürrenmatt's emphasis on taking this text at face value is reassuring in this case. It may perhaps also be the most useful and accurate interpretation, in that it comes closest to the unexplain The quotation cited above is useful information, because I came up with some weird and rather nasty interpretations of this play while reading it. Dürrenmatt's emphasis on taking this text at face value is reassuring in this case. It may perhaps also be the most useful and accurate interpretation, in that it comes closest to the unexplained ambiguity of human behaviour. Apart from that, it
is a very good play. It is engaging, it is really rather funny and while it is remarkably easy to imagine it on stage, it is also a joy to read. Some echoes of Beckett, but more readable, more hopeful perhaps. And, finally, Dürrenmatt has a fantastic understanding of rhythm - strangely exciting.
Sep 14, 2012 Conni Wayne rated it it was amazing I loved this play. It was so excellent. It richly describes the going-ons of a disfunctional town, and I love that. And the ending, it was perfect, and I really would have been disapointed in anything different (though some of my classmates state the opposite). The absurdist level was fun for the comedy and the tragedy, and I am glad I read it.
I read it as a book for school and it was ok. The plot was interesting and I thought it was cool to see it as a screenplaybook, but I already knew what was going to happen because of the ?blurb?.
hmm. ok but school made it a piece of shit lol
Nov 10, 2021 jenn rated it liked it read for school. i think i missed the point. does it even have a point?? we will never know.
better than shakespeare’s romeo and juliet for sure
Sifting this play like a wine the first notes I pick up are Kurt Vonnegut, a pleasant surprise, followed by
faint hints of Faulkner in the backwoods setting and the filial relations of the Ill family; and if I were to guess what kind of wine it is exactly I would say it comes from Greece, either a new varietal or a young crop of an ancient vintage. Decent legs (even if one is artificial), with opulent flavour. My first foray into Dürrenmatt was a success. Granted, this is meant to be his best pla My first foray into Dürrenmatt was a success. Granted, this is meant to be his best play, I'd gladly check out some more from him. The
silliness was first class, but it was the tragic aftertaste that makes this play great. Like a Wes Anderson film, the cartoonishness is broken up with blasts of darkness, but Dürrenmatt does it better. The harshness doesn't come out of nowhere the way it does in Life Aquatic por ejemplo. Never bitter, the social commentary here is really what you make of it. F.D. explains in a postscript (which is ostensibly a guideline for future directors when adapting the play for the stage -- a great
idea; I wish a P.S. came with all plays) that the plot should dictate the themes expressed. I saw in it the transgression inherent in economic prosperity, not so much an anti-capitalist manifesto as a meditation on the corrupting influence of the notion of upward mobility, as well as post-materialism; but F.D. makes an effort to distance the play from any kind of ideology. He stresses that the characters are real people (however absurd or cartoonish), thus they have flaws, weaknesses, and are
capable of doing bad things for good reasons. The silliness is there to counter any bitterness that is usually associated with the topic of the economy and the middle class (seen the news lately?). In this way, the play demonstrates a tenderness that can be found in all of the best tragedies. I recommend heartily this fine literary nectar for any aficionado's cellar (or bookshelf).
Another brilliant play by Dürrenmatt (the second one I've read this week) and another German-language classic. The themes: the power of money and essentially the complete lack of scruples in the behaviour of many of those who have lots of it; but also how quickly those who do not have it are dragged down into the same unscrupulous immorality by the promise of getting a piece of the cake for themselves. It's a play about right and wrong, guilt and innocence. And I like it. Another brilliant play by Dürrenmatt (the second one I've read this week) and another German-language classic. The themes: the power of money and essentially the complete lack of scruples in the behaviour of many of those who have lots of it; but also how quickly those who do not have it are dragged down into the same unscrupulous immorality by the promise of getting a piece of the cake for themselves. It's a play about right and wrong, guilt and innocence. And I like it. ...more
Enjoyed reading "der Besuch der alten Dame" in my German class. It's the first time I'm reading a book in this genre and that's why I won't be rating it. I don't consider myself well informed enough to
be able to compare it with other books.
Aug 03, 2021 Iris rated it it was amazing I’m not generally the kind of person who enjoys plays much, however, this was definitely extraordinary in its nature. The entire plot was utterly brilliant and the evolution of the characters posed with such a social dilemma was really well executed. Definitely a 5 star. (Also, one of the only books I’ve had to read for school that I actually liked.)
Yet
another classic which took me ages to finish✨ This tragicomedy left a 'meh' impression on me - I found it to be boring. I just didn‘t like the plot of the book, which is the reason why it took me THIS long to finally get it over with. Would I recommend the book? No. The sooner you start, the faster you‘ll be over it - so good luck🍀 This tragicomedy left a 'meh' impression on me - I found it to be boring. I just didn‘t like the plot of the book, which is the reason why it took me THIS long to finally get it over with. Would I recommend the book? No. The sooner you start, the faster you‘ll be over it - so good
luck🍀
Jan 26, 2022 Bea Croteau rated it really liked it did I particularly enjoy this play? no. did anything ever actually really happen in this play? also no. did the revenge-bent mildly evil singular female character deliver this absolutely iCONIC line on page 72: "The world made a whore of me, now I'll make a whorehouse of the world"? yes. four stars simply for that one line. did I particularly enjoy this play? no. did anything ever actually really happen in this play? also no. did the revenge-bent mildly evil singular female character deliver this absolutely iCONIC line on page 72: "The world made a whore of me, now I'll make a whorehouse of the world"? yes. four stars simply for that one line. ...more Friedrich
Dürrenmatt (1921 – 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. Dürrenmatt was born in the Emmental (canton of Bern), the son of a Protestant pastor. His grandfather Ulrich Dürrenmatt was a conservative politician. The family moved to Bern in 1935. Dürrenmatt began to study philosophy and German language and literature at the University of Zurich in 1941, but moved to the University of Bern af Dürrenmatt was born in the Emmental (canton of Bern), the son of a Protestant pastor. His grandfather Ulrich Dürrenmatt was a conservative politician. The family moved to Bern in 1935. Dürrenmatt began to study philosophy and German language and literature at the University of Zurich in 1941, but moved to the University of Bern after one semester. In 1943 he decided to become an author and dramatist and dropped his academic career. In 1945-46, he wrote his first play, "It is
written". On October 11 1946 he married actress Lotti Geissler. She died in 1983 and Dürrenmatt was married again to another actress, Charlotte Kerr, the following year. He was a proponent of epic theater whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author gained fame largely due to his avant-garde dramas, philosophically deep crime novels, and often macabre satire. One of his leading sentences was: "A story is not finished, until it has taken the
worst turn". Dürrenmatt was a member of the Gruppe Olten. News & InterviewsIn literature, the term “Gothic” is a notoriously slippery designation. Ask a dozen English professors what it means, and you’ll get a dozen... “Ich fühle, wie ich langsam zu einem Mörder werde. Mein Glaube an die Humanität ist machtlos. Und weil ich es weiß, bin ich ein Säufer geworden.” — 9 likes “Die Welten sind nach der Hauptstadt gerauscht in ihren Cadillacs. Zum Hochzeitsfest.” — 0 likes More quotes…Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. How does the visit play end?Alfred is killed by a crowd of townspeople. Just as a reporter reappears in the auditorium, the doctor announces that Alfred has died of a heart attack. The reporters gather and declare that Alfred has died of joy.
Who wrote the book the Visit?Friedrich DürrenmattThe Visit / Playwrightnull
What is the theme of the visit?Justice, Morality, and Money
Claire's quest to win justice for Ill's betrayal propels the plot of The Visit, and she ultimately succeeds in taking Ill's life and reputation as punishment for his wrongs.
When was the visit written?1956
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The visit friedrich durrenmatt read online
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