{"product_id":"plays-pleasant-arms-and-the-man-candida-the-man-of-destiny-you-never-can-tell-1","title":"Plays Pleasant: Arms and the Man; Candida; the Man of Destiny; You Never Can Tell","description":"\u003cp\u003eExclusive to Penguin Classics: the definitive text of Shaw’s volume of “pleasant” plays, \u003ci\u003eArms and the Man\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCandida\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Man of Destiny\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eYou Never Can Tell\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e—part of the official Bernard Shaw Library\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Penguin Classic\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of Bernard Shaw’s most glittering comedies, \u003ci\u003eArms and the Man\u003c\/i\u003e is a burlesque of Victorian attitudes to heroism, war and empire. In the contrast between Bluntschli, the mercenary soldier, and the brave leader, Sergius, the true nature of valour is revealed. Shaw mocks deluded idealism in \u003ci\u003eCandida\u003c\/i\u003e, when a young poet becomes infatuated with the wife of a Socialist preacher. \u003ci\u003eThe Man of Destiny\u003c\/i\u003e is a witty war of words between Napoleon and a “strange lady,” while in the exuberant farce \u003ci\u003eYou Never Can Tell\u003c\/i\u003e a divided family is reunited by chance. Although Shaw intended \u003ci\u003ePlays Pleasant\u003c\/i\u003e to be gentler comedies than those in their companion volume, \u003ci\u003ePlays Unpleasant\u003c\/i\u003e, their prophetic satire is sharp and provocative.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the definitive text prepared under the editorial supervision of Dan H. Laurence. The volume includes Shaw’s Preface of 1898.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"sb-details\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/george-bernard-shaw-books\"\u003eGeorge Bernard Shaw\u003c\/a\u003e (all their books in stock)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGenre:\u003c\/strong\u003e Drama, United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2003\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Penguin Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780140437942\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Shaw, George Bernard","offers":[{"title":"Standard Secondhand — £2.68","offer_id":47975342506161,"sku":"SB-0140437940-C3","price":2.68,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Poor Condition — £2.18","offer_id":48026444202161,"sku":"SB-0140437940-C4","price":2.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/2669\/5345\/files\/0140437940_04afcece-be5f-453c-bf65-b76e1d0dc815.jpg?v=1794545249","url":"https:\/\/sellbooks.co.uk\/products\/plays-pleasant-arms-and-the-man-candida-the-man-of-destiny-you-never-can-tell-1","provider":"Sell Books .co.uk","version":"1.0","type":"link"}