The Glass Menagerie

Fragility of that human core, the essence of emotion, and the sensitization of a human mind, that of the reader's, is at the helm of this dramatic experience. Glass being the minimalist element whose ‘softness' isn't visibly projected, is forever endangered by the harshness that surrounds or permeates the living world.

Williams's achievement lies in bringing out the fragile by winnowing the broken from the infrangible.

Very powerful piece about family members with very destructive patterns. A mother with forceful good intentions, a daughter who is a frail as her glass menagerie, and a son who feels burdened and often escapes at night to the movies.

If you like to compare pieces of fiction I suggest you read A Raisin in the Sun These books are very similar slice of dysfunctional family life. Both are run by a matriarchy, both have an absent husband, both families struggle with finance, and both have a male character who wishes for so much more. If I could run a book club these would be the first two books to discuss side by side.

If you ever get the opportunity to see a live performance of this I highly recommend you go or listen to a performance audio book! ~Ashley

I was curious to learn more about Tennessee Williams after (finally) seeing A Streetcar Named Desire. There was something in this movie that talked to me and I wanted to know more, so I started with this one, The Glass Menagerie, that made him famous.

Being a theater piece, it's much shorter than I expected, but also very easy to read. I found a lot of the relationships I encountered in life in the relationship depicted in this piece between Laura and her mother, the same fears, expectations and all the wrong ways to handle it. Tom being the narrator was somewhat more distant and a harder character to understand.

I'm not sure it will leave me a lasting memory, but I must say I really want to see this one in real life (especially given the setting the author imagined for the stage).

"I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion."

this is just a Frasier episode

2/5 stars

I think I can positively say that this is my favorite Tennessee Williams play! Touching, sweet, and relates to anyone whose dreams are being pushed aside in order to help the family survive. Every family will always have the dreamer, the person who lives in their memory and the person whose personality traps them from branching out and doing what they want to do. Tom, Amanda and Laura all created an atmosphere that anyone would want to step into, only if it is for a while and take in their story about what life truly is under all that false hope. In my current yearning for reading plays, this has to be one of my favorites, alongside DOUBT and FENCES (and more).