I found this in the Schwules Museum in Berlin, Deutschland along with "Endstation Sehnsucht" ("A Streetcard Named Desire"). I can't remember having read the English-language version of "The Glass Menagerie", although certainly I'm familiar with the play, having been a theatre major at Niagara University and NYU, and having seen at least one version of this play, featuring Katharine Hepburn, on television in the 1970's. My German is intermediate level; I read it and understand it better than I speak it. Nonetheless, I understand written German well enough to have comprehended the main themes of this play, despite my lack of advanced German vocabulary. That being said, I will now review this play as if I had read it in English.

First of all, if you ever become suicidally depressed, question the value of your life and think about ending it all, then remember that you're probably better off than Laura Wingfield, who unfortunately I cannot refer to as a tragic heroine, since being a heroine, even an anti-heroine, implies having an existential, conquering nature (think Brunnhilde or Medea). Unfortunately Laura is crippled emotionally as well as physically, and seemingly afraid of everything; in today's culture, she would probably be committing cybersuicide. I found myself getting angry at Laura and her obsession with her glass menagerie (a 1940's metaphor for obsessive-compulsive disorder); probably because I'm angry at that fear-ridden part of myself. On the other hand, her brother Tom is either purposely unaware, or being insensitive, in suggesting to Amanda that Jim O'Connor come over to the Wingfield's for dinner so that Laura can meet a man. Because unfortunately Jim ends up being engaged to Betty, and therefore will not be able to whisk Laura away to wedded bliss like a knight in shining armour. Thus, according to Tennessee William's perspective in 1945, men are bastards (this is still true today); Tom, Mrs. Wingfield's absentee husband, and even two-timing (at least as Laura sees it) Jim O'Connor also fit that description.

In the end, Laura is the ultimate victim, Tom is the ultimate bastard, and Amanda ss the ultimate overbearing, nagging yet neglectful mother. And yet, I feel sorry for Amanda for having been abandoned by her "no-good man", as Laura was by Jim O'Connor. Laura is William's first "delicate soul" (the next being Blanche DuBois); given that most homosexuals were closeted in 1940's America, Williams, as a gay man, lived vicariously through these women. His male characters, on the other hand, can be brutes (IE Stanley Kowalski, or the kind of guy Sal Mineo or Pier Paolo Pasolini were interesting in meeting). Even though I may sound flippant in this review, I still find "Das Glasmenagerie" to be authentically, heartbreakingly and bleakly tragic. When Laura blows out the candles at the close of the play, it's as if hope is non-existent and she will remain in that house for the rest of her life. The three characters in this play share a hell similar to those of Sartre's "No Exit". I hope anyone who reads this play will be inspired to transcend their fears and live life to the fullest (I know, easier said than done), lest they end up like Tom, Amanda and Laura. ( )

It's a charming window into the past, but I have to say the meaning of the story escapes me. The best I can muster is that, although Tom needs adventure and to have his own life separate from his family, he will always feel a responsibility for his sister who he abandoned. ( )

It was okay. Kind of boring and I don't remember the so smart point it was trying to make. ( )

جیم:
چی بود بهش خوردم؟

لورا:
میز بود.

جیم:
مثل اینکه چیزی از روش افتاد؟

لورا:
بله.

جیم:
خدا کنه اون اسب موچیک یه شاخ نباشه.

لورا:
چرا خودشه.

جیم:
ای داد شکست؟

لورا:
حالا مثل اسبای دیگه‌س، دیگه شاخ نداره.

جیم:
مگه شاخش...

لورا:
شکست، عیبی نداره، شاید این یه خوشبختی در حین بدبختیه.

می‌شه گفت کل نمایشنامه‌ی باغ وحش شیشه‌ای توی همین چندتا دیالوگ بیان می‌شه! نمایشنامه‌ی خوبی بود. ( )

It was great to revisit this classic play about the fragility and complexity of human relationships. Some interactions are transparent as the glass in the title; others are more subtle. Williams addresses social issues of 1939: mental illness, physical challenges, and social isolation. The stage directions and dialog in the written play depict the menagerie as a vivid symbol for the humans frozen in time, caged in, and feeling helpless in an uncertain society. There is also a prevalent theme of illusion and emphasis on memories being unreliable.

See my reviews at https://quipsandquotes.net/

I did find it a little overrated aside from good writing skills with a hearty, flowery prose. It was relatable too but all in all, a nice read.

Here is my full review:
http://www.sholee.net/2021/02/mpov-glass-menagerie.html ( )

A very interesting play. I especially enjoyed the additional stage directions on music, lighting and the message board that were included. Together, it brought it to life and made a very interesting mental picture. I've never seen this play performed or read any other version. It is rather short though. ( )

I just couldnt get into this one. Maybe if i saw it on stage ( )

As the character-narrator Tom says in the opening act, this play is about "the long-delayed but always expected something that we live for." This smacks of Beckett's Godot, however Williams's play attaches this existential dilemma to an overt object, whereas Beckett allows it never to show up. ( )

Originally read this for school a while back and wasn't overly impressed, but recently listened to a performance of it and it's much better when performed. And when I can actually enjoy the book without putting up with all my English teacher's antics. ( )

The Glass Menagerie is a short, classic American play from the 1940’s. I have vague memories of reading this in school, but I didn’t remember anything about it, not even whether or not I liked it.

It’s difficult to explain much about the story without spoiling it since it’s so short. The majority of the play has only three characters: Amanda (the mother), Laura (her daughter), and Tom (her son). Tom also serves as a narrator to provide some context for the story. The father abandoned his family and they live in a cheap apartment, barely scraping by. Both children are past school age, and the son has a low-paying job at a warehouse. The daughter is extremely shy and timid. The mother desperately wants her children to do and be more than they are.

This is a pretty depressing little play about people who are stuck in a bad situation and lack the motivation or ability to better themselves, squandering their opportunities and making things worse for each other . Laura’s and Tom’s actions were really frustrating to me, especially when Tom financed his escape by using the money allocated for the electric bill instead of saving it up from the money he was spending on cigarettes, alcohol, and movies. The mother was pretty obnoxious and I’m not sure she was entirely sane, but she was the one whose motivations I understood best.

I thought the story was well-told, though. It felt real, and I could understand the characters even if I didn’t like them very much. As a play, it was easier to picture what was going on as compared to the few other plays I’ve read, mostly Shakespeare. The stage directions were pretty detailed, describing characters’ expressions and actions and movements, and even their motivations or thoughts at times. Add to that quite a bit of narration from Tom, and it almost felt like reading prose that just had a lot of dialogue. ( )

After being blown away by "A Streetcar Named Desire" I am glad that I stuck with finishing up this play though it no longer counts toward Dead Writers Society Literary Birthday Challenge for 2016.

I really enjoyed this play looking at what is left of the Wingfield family (Amanda, Tom, and Laura).

Amanda (the mother) reminds me a saner version of Blanche DuBois from "A Streetcar Named Desire". Amanda is caught up in her past of receiving gentleman callers prior to agreeing to marry Tom and Laura's father. She's still bitter because the man she ultimately chose to marry ended up just becoming a telephone salesman and runs off 16 years prior to the beginning of the play. It was shocking to me to realize that the missing Mr. Wingfield had been gone for the majority of the Tom and Laura's lives, and Amanda was left to make do with what she could while trying to raise her children.

Tom longs for the freedom to just write poetry and go on adventures. He feels trapped by his mother and sister and hates that he is expected to give up his life working in a warehouse to support them.

Laura is scared and afraid that when most people see her, they see the deformity in her leg. Choosing to concentrate on cleaning her glass collection and playing records left by her father, she's focused on not trying to upset her mother and keep her brother calm though she knows he wants to leave them.

Funnily enough the person I had the most sympathy for in this play was Amanda. At times I didn't like her character (when she told Laura that she would play a "Darkie" and serve and using the N word I was initially done with the character. However, reading further and seeing how she is doing everything possible to make sure that her children have a good life even if it means pushing them into things that they don't want was sad. Amanda being focused on gentleman callers and being upset that Laura is not attracting a man in order to support her at times seems so backwards. But in the time and place that the play takes place in what I guess to be the 1940s, there was not much that Laura could do since she had not done well in high school and dropped out of a secretarial course.

We have another character introduced late to the play, Jim O'Conner, or the gentleman caller. He is another character whose life has not ended up the way that he thought it would. However, unlike Tom, Laura, and I would also say Amanda, he is trying to do better because he sees a different life for himself. Watching the way that Jim was with Amanda and Laura was eye opening. Though Tom is ashamed and at times angry at Amanda, Jim finds himself charmed by her.

I loved the dialogue and stage directions in this play. The interactions between Amanda and Tom are always full of what the other person is not saying and even is saying at key moments. You get the full sense of Amanda's upset at what her life is now, prior to when she was besieged with gentlemen callers. Laura's dialogue until the end was very timid and afraid. When she finally does open up to Jim you can see what person she could have been if she wasn't so afraid of things all of the time.

The entire play takes place in the Wingfield family's home and I loved Williams stage directions for the home prior to the gentleman caller and afterwards. The apartment feels down right claustrophobic at times since you are not really able to get away from each other based on the set-up of the apartment.

The ending was bittersweet. Tom runs away to chase his adventures, but has seemed to realize that running away from home has only led him to be chased by the memory of his sister. ( )

Read this for school, and then saw it performed live. I remember loving it, but want to re-read it before I write a proper review or rate it.

The Glass Menagerie works on two levels for me (there's more I'm sure). On one there's the struggle of a fractured family that also speaks to real class disparity and struggles of mental health and mobility where the pathos is centered on the women. On another level there's a complete ignorance of privilege on the part of the playwright or the characters, though it may be anachronistic I just can't get down with Tom's struggle.

Tennessee Williams’ somewhat autobiographical play was his big break, catapulting him to success. The action is set in a St. Louis apartment, where Amanda and her two adult children live uneasily with each other. They have the shadow of Amanda’s runaway husband hanging over them. Amanda can’t let go of her past, Tom feels the burden of supporting both his mother and his sister, and Laura has lived in self-imposed isolation for so long that it is hard for her to break free for herself.

I read this play fairly quickly and certainly found it an intense play. Williams’ stage directions are worth reading on their own as well, with commentary about contemporary society baked into it. The memory bits probably work better on the stage, and this would definitely be an interesting play to watch. The autobiographical elements make it compelling. ( )

Labeled a memory play based on author Tennessee Williams’ own history, The Glass Menagerie tells the heartbreaking story of the Wingfield family as they live their lives in reduced circumstances in a St. Louis tenement just before World War II. The play is narrated by Tom, a young man who yearns to be a poet and see the world, but feels trapped in the dead-end warehouse job he needs to support his delusional mother and crippled sister. Amanda, the mother, spends most of her time recalling her younger glory days when she was a beautiful Southern belle with plenty of “gentlemen callers” from whom to choose.

Unfortunately, she chose the wrong one and married a man of limited means who long ago deserted the family. Laura, the sister, is painfully shy and withdrawn, in part because a childhood illness has left her leg in a brace. She does little but stay at home all day polishing her collection of fragile glass curios that gives the play its title and serves as an apt metaphor for her own life. Into this sad mix, Amanda pressures Tom to invite one of his co-workers home to dinner so that Laura might have a gentleman caller of her own. Needless to say, that scheme—which concludes the play—does not end well.

This is a poignant, sharply written story that is rightfully considered to be one of the very best American plays ever produced. As the first contribution in what became a remarkable portfolio of hits, including A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird of Youth, and The Night of the Iguana, this play established Williams reputation for creating strong, sympathetic, but highly flawed and relatable characters. In particular, Amanda Wingfield stands alongside Blanche DuBois as one of theater’s great female roles. It should also be mentioned that the author’s extensive production notes in the written script make this play as interesting to read as it is to watch performed in person. The Glass Menagerie is hardly a feel-good tale, but it is essential fiction. ( )

I love this play, but I hate it because I was that painfully shy girl who lived in her own world and it just felt like I was reading about myself that existed a few years ago, luckily I'm not like that anymore. The characters were great for the story Amanda, Laura and Tom don't seem like people who would come from the same family, but then you see how they interact and see why there is tension. The thing that I didn't like was how over the top descriptive Williams made it, sure it's great for visualizations and understanding the characters, but I would much rather learned about the characters by reading their dialog and actions instead of being told in the beginning who was who and everything about their personality. With that said, I am surprised how there are things that can be interpreted differently by people, usually when the characters are pinned down with straight forward descriptions, there isn't much wiggle room for thought on the plot. Whether or not Tom was selfish, I thought for sure, Williams would either make it clear which way he was, but left it open. ( )

Toller Schluss. Ein sehr dezentes feinfühliges Buch, das gerade dadurch um so kraftvoller wirkt. ( )

The 1944 “The Glass Menagerie” is Tennessee Williams’ first commercial success. It’s a tight 4 person play with Amanda/mother, Laura/sister, Tom/brother and narrator, and Jim/the gentleman caller. Amanda is an ex-Southern Belle who is obsessed with finding a gentleman caller for the ultra-shy and mentally fragile Laura, the symbolic glass. Tom meanwhile is tired of his mother’s endless naggings of the way he chews, the way he dresses, and of her repeated retelling of her girly days in the Blue Mountains with her “17 gentleman callers in one Sunday afternoon”. Upon his mother’s urgings, he brings home a coworker, Jim, to meet Laura. Nothing ends well (big surprise), and the family will soon face even darker days, literally and figuratively, when Tom follows his father’s footsteps. The candles are darkened…

Having read “Streetcar” first, Amanda immediately evokes images of Blanche, living in memories of a time long ago, thrusting her ideals upon others, and simply annoying everyone around her. Tom is a softer version of Stanley with an innate selfishness and perhaps even cruelty that has yet to reveal itself fully. The writing is a bit simpler and restrained, for good reasons. Apparently, “The Glass Menagerie” has autobiographical elements particularly of Laura, whose nickname of “Blue Roses” is named after Williams’ sister, Rose, who had a blotched lobotomy leaving her incapacitated. Williams had loved his sister dearly; writing of his own family must have stung to say the least. When I initially finished the book, I felt I was left hanging; I wanted more. But after sleeping on it, it would make no sense to reveal the torments that will befall the family. The controlled ending is right as it is.

Finally, this book version has an essay written by Williams, titled “The Catastrophe of Success”, addressing the impact of his sudden fame living in luxury hotels with servants and how such an environment is not conducive of creativity. This snapshot of a moment in his life is particularly intriguing after a bit more autobiographical reading reveals that he too fell into traps of his own success becoming a drug addict. Yikes. This bonus essay bumps the rating up half a star.

One quote on Success from the essay:
“…Once you fully apprehend the vacuity of a life without struggle you are equipped with the basic means of salvation. Once you know this is true, that the heart of man, his body and his brain, are forged in a white-hot furnace for the purpose of conflict (the struggle of creation) and that with the conflict removed, the man is a sword cutting daises, that not privation but luxury is the wolf at the door and that the fangs of this wolf are all the little vanities and conceits and laxities that Success is heir to – why, then with this knowledge you are at least in a position of knowing where danger lies.” ( )

While I enjoyed the play as I was going through it, I was a little surprised by the ending, which of course makes me want to go back and re-read it, because clearly I missed something. Or maybe I didn't. Maybe it was supposed to end that way—illusions of life based on hope and wishes when we don't really do anything to get ourselves out of the mess we are in—like Jim encouraged Laura to do, and maybe did. ( )

While I enjoyed the play as I was going through it, I was a little surprised by the ending, which of course makes me want to go back and re-read it, because clearly I missed something. Or maybe I didn't. Maybe it was supposed to end that way—illusions of life based on hope and wishes when we don't really do anything to get ourselves out of the mess we are in—like Jim encouraged Laura to do, and maybe did. ( )

Amanda, a faded southern belle, and her two grown children, Tom and Laura, live together in a small apartment. Tom is the narrator of the play and is clearly ready to leave the family nest. He dreams of a career writing poetry but is instead stuck in a dreary warehouse job. Nightly he escapes to "the movies" but it is never clear if that is really where he goes. Laura is a painfully shy girl with a slight limp from a childhood illness. Her shyness becomes too excruciating to even attend a local business college and she drops out after the first few days. She spends her days playing the old victrola and fussing with her glass ornaments. All Mama Amanda wants is for her daughter to have 'gentleman callers' to see how lovely and special Laura is. When Tom brings Jim, a co-worker, home for dinner Amanda thinks they have hit the jackpot for Laura. But the visit does not go as hoped. ( )

Had to read this for school and I don't know why they insisted on us reading all the literature of the era I hate so much. But they did. What I don't get about this play is the weird screen with the symbolic pictures. It's supposed to be a memory, does the author have such a symbolic memory screen in his head? I don't like obvious symbolism, this was about as obvious as you can get. The story was the same bland, bleak, "were so disillusioned" story of the era. Ugh. The one thing I did like was the name. "The glass menagerie" just sounds pleasing. ( )

Highly symbolic yet human. Laura is certainly the tragic character ... unable to spread her wings due to the dominance and overbearing attitude of a well-meaning mother, she is allowed to glimpse another world in which she is a whole person only to have it snatched from her. Truly tragic. ( )

I read this for my Classics Book Group. It was interesting to read a play for the group. There was only one time that I really enjoyed this play. That time was when my friend, Mary Jo directed it. For the first time I was able to see the human side of Amanda. I was very impressed. In the past this character had seemed like a cartoon of the evil mother. I'm very glad I had a chance to see this perspective.

I hadn't read Glass Menagerie since high school. I found it much more interesting this time. This edition had some interesting background in the introduction and afterward. ( )