A View from the Bridge & All My Sons (Penguin Modern Classics) by Arthur Miller

by Arthur Miller

Set on the gritty Brooklyn waterfront, "A View from the Bridge" follows the cataclysmic downfall of Eddie Carbone, who spends his days as a hardworking longshoreman and his nights at home with his wife, Beatrice, and niece, Catherine. But the routine of his life is interrupted when Beatrice's cousins, illegal immigrants from Italy, arrive in New York. As one of them embarks on a romance with Catherine, Eddie's envy and delusion plays out with devastating consequences.

Genres: Plays, Classics, Drama, Fiction, Theatre, American, School

Paperback

First published November 1, 1955

About the author

Works of American playwright Arthur Asher Miller include Death of a Salesman (1949), for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, and The Crucible (1953).


This essayist, a prominent figure in literature and cinema for over 61 years, composed a wide variety, such as celebrated A View from the Bridge and All My Sons , still studied and performed worldwide. Miller often in the public eye most famously refused to give evidence to the un-American activities committee of the House of Representatives, received award for drama, and married Marilyn Monroe. People at the time considered the greatest Miller.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_...

Reviews

[Noam · Rating 5 out of 5]

2 shockingly amazing plays about the complexity of human relationships. Written around 1950, these plays are classical Greek tragedies too. The content is related to the actuality of the 50s, but it could have happened and happens now.
The main theme in both plays is probably taking responsibility for unbearable things which one have done, driven by fear. Sometimes we do our best to avoid things getting worse, but the effect of our behaviour is exactly the opposite of what we wanted. The impossibility of the human nature.
Read these plays in case you think we’ve learnt something of the past, because we didn’t.
2 plays which are so good that when you finish reading them you need some time to recover. Or at least this is what happened to me.

[Onur Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

A View From the Bridge, the first play of the book, is a fine example of American Tragedy. It recounts the tragic events placed in a poor Italian immigrant neighbourhood. The play questions masculinity and human nature. The exposition is quite simple. Eddie loves his niece but he is too stubborn to admit that. I like the parts where Marco is pissed off. I love the way the lawyer Alfiere narrates the story and also is included in the action.

All My Sons, published in 1947, tells us about Keller family and its destruction because of what Dad had done in the past. It takes from the post-war US hysteria. Memory and past, justice and judgment are the obvious components of the play. LOVE THE ENDING!!!

[Sahil · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Oh no, he'll come back. We all come back. These private little revolutions always die. The compromise is always made. In a peculiar way, Frank is right – every man does have a star. The star of one's honesty. And you spend your life groping for it, but once it's out it never lights again. I don't think he went very far. He probably just wanted to be alone to watch his star go out."

The book consists of two different plays – "A View from the Bridge", and "All My Sons". Both, revolve around the feeling of Pride, and the person you desire to present yourself as. There's this intricate sort of connection between the two, which is made rather clear when it's presented as one book. I'm not sure if it's clear enough for people to have acknowledged when the plays were actually performed – considering there was a decade-long gap between the two.

I'm not much of a play-reader, so it was a fresh experience for me, and while I enjoyed the conversationalist nature of the book, I didn't think its particularly interesting in the modern era. Quality-wise, there really isn't much negative to be said about it, though. Just a bit meh as an experience.

It's an easy read though – so not much to lose. I liked All My Sons quite a lot, and it has a lot of questions raised which you're expected to find an answer to yourself, and I quite like that personally.

2.5/5

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The five stars are for A View from the Bridge in the penguin modern classics 1986 edition I have. While putting some space between reading these two plays before starting All My Sons, I found a Bloomsbury edition of All My Sons with added analysis of the play; a chronology, a summary of the plot, an Introduction to the context of the play, commentary on themes, characters, language and style, a review of the play in performance, notes on individual words and phrases in the text, and a list of suggested further reading.

[Jayson Forneiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the time period and setting of the book and I felt that it was worked in very well to the play. Eddie is seen as the tragic character in the play as he lets his jealousy take the best of him and force him to turn in his wife’s cousins. He does this out of jealousy of his daughter and one of the cousins getting married. This later leads to a fight in which a knife is drawn and Marco stabs Eddie out of self defense. I enjoyed this play and thought it was definitely worth reading.

[Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

(reaction to all my sons)
WHAT IS IT WITH ARTHUR AND ALWAYS THE SAME OLD ENDING?!
I LOVED ALL MY SONS! probably the best play i read by him. it’s so hard to explain why i love the way he writes.
his characters are so real, you make a connection with them despite not wanting to. the endings always get me. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. he is an actual genius and when i finish his scripts I feel so empty (in the best way possible).

[Stella · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this in english class and i love feeling like a silly little academic weapon

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion, this play can teach us a lot about feminism and gender roles back in the '50s. In the play, Eddie Carbone is a longshoreman who is married to Beatrice. Their relationship can teach a lot about the morals of feminism and how women were being treated back in 1950. Eddie Carbone, as seen through his actions, and every other man believes they should be in charge of their wives and families and should be the ones working. Carbone says, "I don't like it! The way you talk to me and the way you look at me. This is my house" (62). Men are thought of to be superior to women and women should have respect for them no matter what. Women, on the other hand, are expected to sit at home and help out around the house as well as follow orders from their husbands. This play is a perfect representation of gender roles throughout the 20th century.

[iz✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

1.5 stars for A View from the Bridge, 4.25 for All My Sons, idk why they chose to put them in a collection together.

A View: this was utterly horrific. Like really, really bad. I can barely remember what happened (I finished this one about a week ago so maybe it's my memory but I do remember being distinctly disappointed so make of that what you will). Eddie was just a diet version of John Proctor except somehow even more unlikeable, down to the 'yOu wIlL nOt TaKe mY nAmE' speech, and the plot was so convoluted and unnecessary like there was absolutely no need for the sheer amount of incestiness going on there. I hated the narration style also - it was giving our year three production of Alice in Wonderland in the worst way possible. I suspect the harsh rating is partly to do with me expecting better, but an extra half star for there being some objective merit? Supposedly?

All My Sons: maybe the reason they put these two in a collection together was because this redeems the mess that is AVFTB. It's essentially a much better version of Death of a Salesman, and I absolutely loved the ways that Miller explored the personal v the public, and to what extent we are a product of our society. Minus points for it ending the exact same way all of the big four end, but it was a beautiful play which I would love to see performed live and is definitely one of my new favourites.

[Andreas Sekeris · Rating 4 out of 5]

These two plays dive into the changing roles of dads in families. It’s rooted in the language of mid 20th century America, themes still resonate.

A View from the Bridge is the first play. Very tightly written, about a small family of immigrants housing a couple of relatives who have illegally migrated. It’s a boy meets girl, dad doesn’t approve of boy story. What elevates it is the ambiguity in the relationship between the uncle, Eddie, who is like a dad to his niece Catherine. That ambiguity is disturbing, and makes you feel discomforted when Eddie disapproves of her budding romance. He wants the best for Catherine, but also doesn’t want her to go out and see the world. Yes it’s sexist and ‘of its time’, but attitudes towards a “them” who are coming to work jobs better than “us” and marry “our women” continue today.

All My Sons is not as tightly written. It’s combining what’s happened in the past, during the war, with the present. It’s a clash between an older generation, focused on providing for their family, versus a younger generation who want justice, equality and to be free of a smothering small town.

Read these quickly. Would like to see them acted sometime.

[Joseph Cortez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this play and have a new outlook on the life of immigrants in the United States after reading it. In this play, one theory that is clearly portrayed is that of gender/queer with focus on masculinity and problems with sexuality. I think this theory truly allows the reader to understand Eddie’s character in that he has a desire to be the strongest among everyone showing his masculinity. Towards the end of the play, Marco and Eddie are in a conflict based around who is the stronger man and Eddie realizes that he is not actually stronger than Marco so he, “springs a knife into his hand” (pg 85). I really was moved by how much pride Eddie had in his masculinity and the fact that it was put into question would lead him to want to kill Marco. Another reason why Eddie questioned his own masculinity was due to his confusion of his sexuality. He is clearly in love with his Niece which is completely immoral and this leads him not to be a good husband and pleasing Beatrice which is why she says, “When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie?” (pg 31). This idea of questioning masculinity makes this play very interesting to see how far a man would go for their pride and image.

[Kirsty Darbyshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read because Miranda had brought it home from school to do her homework and I couldn't resist it when she left it lying around. Read it straight though, including a glass of wine in the interval and super enjoyed it, was imagining it in the Quarry Theatre at the WYP :D I should read more plays, having all the stage directions is great.

[plutosbigteeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

im going to fully and unapologetically ignore a view from the bridge here and give this a rating as if i only read all my sons bc. what. god fucking damn WHAT.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Azra Kasırga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bamboozled and in awe.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read from my gcse drama. Such a weird plot and I still find Eddie so creepy. There's hardly a redeeming character in this short story lol.

[sumayyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

01/15/2024

Both plays were full of tragedy and tortured characters. I am in love with how Miller soaks the pages in heartbreak, loss, conviction, and tears. The second story, "All My Sons" is especially prone to making you gape in awe with its low stakes but high tension.

A view from the Bridge 3 Stars
All my Sons 5 Stars

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a class, we had to read 'A View From A Bridge' together, but when given the text, I decided to read the 'All my Sons' play too. I have been lucky enough to see both plays on the stage, but as usual with plays, I preferred watching it to reading it.

A view from the bridge was amazing, I loved the story-line and found the setting of illegal immigrants an exciting concept. I was interested in witnessing Eddie's growing affections for Catherine, even though she is his neice, and the scene with Marco lifting the chait to show dominance was brilliant! I just didn't like the romance between Rodolpho and Catherine, I knew there needed to be one to make the story work, but I couldn't believe that she would fall for a character like him.

All my sons was much more affective as a stage piece than on paper. I struggled with reading it and found the plot complicated, and it wasn't until seeing it that I understood it all. The story-line is very well developed, and though it was quite dark, I agreed with the engagement of Chris and Ann.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally give five stars to a book, but I studied this during my A-Levels five years ago and have loved it ever since. It is a wonderfully tragic tale of wanting what is best for your family and wanting to be happy yourself. I highly recommend Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge, and I can guarantee there will not be a dry eye at the end of this play. I have recently re-read this and found more details than I originally noted down when I read it at aged seventeen. Arthur Miller has and always will be my favourite playwright.

[James Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I studied this book in GCSE English way back when and I fell in love with the play! Reading it now in my 30s I could see so much more than I did at 15 and I love it even more, great read, great characters and stage directions that bring the play to life beyond the pages.

[Cansu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[zophise · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's was light but substantial read. His books were very meaningful and brought light to very urgent matters at that time, but are still relevant today. He had the skill of balancing humour, satire and drama. I liked 'All of my Sons' better than the other play, but I enjoyed reading both!

"A View from the Bridge"
Is set in 1950's Brooklyn. Italians migrated there looking for a brighter future. Eddie works as a dockworker, like lot of them. He has a niece called Catherine who wants to marry Rodolpho, but Eddie oposses to it because he thinks Rodolpho is only after a green card.

Some of the themes discussed are: immigration, prejudice, law and justice, possessiveness, the 'american dream', reputation, community, toxic masculinity and self-determination.

"All of my Sons"
21 american soldiers died due to faulty airplane parts. Steve was found guilty and was imprisoned for it. His son, George, starts investigating the matter because he thinks it's suspicious. Meanwhile his sister Annie is planning to get married with Steve's colleague's (Joe's) son Chris. Annie was formerly married to Chris' brother Larry, before he passed away. What will George's investigation possible have to do with Larry's tragic death?

Some of the themes discussed: guilt, greed, family, loss, morality, idealism, the 'american dream', dissappointment, responsibility and war.

[reader on the shore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A critique of both the societal atmosphere and human nature. Although the central conflict of the play is on Eddie's desire for Catherine, the discussion of what the 'laws' are and what 'laws' should do elevates the status of this play. Eddie was torn between three laws: the household law of caring for immigrants and family members (and caring is not loving), the American law, and the Sicilian law. At the end, Marco betrays two of the three laws: 1) He is unable to return, hence cannot care for his family and betrays the household law; 2) he betrays the American law because he was an illegal immigrant. He did not betray the Sicilian law since he let Eddie pay for his action, and although his ending is tragic, he remains proud. For Eddie, technically speaking he only betrays the first law, but since family (or Catherine), is one thing that he cares the most, he has no choice but to be hopeless and die without any support from his family.
A view from the Bridge is a play about society, about human nature, about love, and also about balance. Eddie has "too much love" for Catherine; Catherine and Rudolpho have too much love for each other, and B has too much love for Eddie. Perhaps the tragic ending is nobody's fault, and tragedy is just an over-production of virtues.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Notes from a view from the bridge- I appreciate this as a great work of art and the writing was truly beautiful most of the characters were beautiful. Also everyone referring to Catherine as a little girl is so weird to me. Can't let me down like this Mr. Miller please let none of your other plays have incest in them 😭 like do I wanna laugh about it a little? Yes but am I going too no. But the story without all of that was highly interesting and I think the point of it is to talk about infatuation and the dangers of it

I love that Mr Miller broaches on such difficult topics such as suicide, obsession, death grief and freedom throughout his plays

All of my sons HIT DIFFERENT like oh my goodness poor Chris an Ann my heart exploded for them it was madness but also something that's not talked enough because real events like this did happen and that's what's scary to reach such a serious topic and turn it into art so creatively to bring awareness if anyone knows how to do it it's Arthur Miller

[ra · Rating 3 out of 5]

didnt like this one as much as AMS :/ maybe its because im much more unfamiliar with the contextual elements this time around so its harder for me to appreciate, but it didnt hit me as hard which was where it was a letdown. if anything though my interest piqued with alfieri’s character and the role he played in the narrative.

im reading for leisure obviously but im also almost wondering if i could apply a greek tragic structure to this, or some kind of omniscient narrator-type thing to his character??? i cant remember the exact word for it but i know miller didnt use this structure for his other plays ie have a character ‘re-tell’ from the future so..interesting choice and also really the only thing i liked. this play was very strange.

[amelie]

i read a view from the bridge ages ago but it took me so long to read all my sons and finish this... it didn’t strike a chord with me the same way that miller’s other plays do. i think it’s just too contained; it doesn’t have the visual quality when the whole thing takes place in a garden. and the characters were difficult to sympathise with: it was just like watching another willy loman fall from grace but much less interesting.

but a view from the bridge... i cannot recommend enough! it’s mildly uncomfortable and shouty but i do love!!

and, of course, the crucible still holds a little place in my heart...

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to read these two stageplays complete with direction notes and descriptions of the emotions/mood to be conveyed along with the words. It is the first time I have read in this format.

Both stories were pretty lacking in cheer or any sense of optimism or redemption by the time the curtain came down, but were well written and evocative of the quiet desperation of the human condition.

[brynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭:
Plot: 100000/5
Characters: 5/5
Length: 5/5
𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥: 5/5

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠:
At first it took me a bit to get into, yet around 15 pages in I was hooked. I never knew I would love tragedy so much! Both stories were great and the endings (as expected) were sad enough to leave me in shock. Definitely recommend :)

[Ethna Brave · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was my first time reading Miller’s play, ‘A View from the Bridge’ in order to prepare to teach the play to my Year 9 students. It’s an honest, raw and simple play that says a lot in a brief period of time. I’m looking forward to teaching it.

[Kealan O'ver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feels really ahead of its time for the tackling of homophobia, immigration and in particular the US military industrial complex only 2 years after WW2.
Now if only I could find somewhere that’s performing them.