All About Books discussion

The focus play for October - December 2016 is the 1998 Tony-winning play Art by Yasmina Reza. This contemporary French play won the Scott Moncrieff Prize in 1997 as well as other awards such as:

Spring 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy
April 1998 Molière Award for Best Commercial Production
May 1998 New York Drama Critics' Circle – Best Play

The first English-language production in London in 1996 starred Albert Finney while the 1998 New York premiere cast starred Alan Alda. (Wish I had seen either of those!!)

I saw this play in January of 2012 at a local theater and really liked it. I look forward to reading this!

I picked my copy up from the library yesterday. I knew nothing about it, just that we're reading it here, but after a quick look at the blurb on the back it sounds very intriguing.

Leslie, I wish I'd seen either of those English language versions as well! I might see if I can find any to watch online, though I'd need subtitles for a French production.

I couldn't wait, so I started last night and finished this morning. I really enjoyed this play and thought it had a much deeper meaning than the surface topic of the artwork being discussed.

I'm so pleased that this group picks plays and poetry to read, as it makes me try things that I would never pick up otherwise. I hadn't even heard of Yasmina Reza before. It's only because of AAB that I explore plays at all, as they'd never been part of my every day life before.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else thinks :)

Pink wrote: "I couldn't wait, so I started last night and finished this morning. I really enjoyed this play and thought it had a much deeper meaning than the surface topic of the artwork being discussed. ..."

Glad you liked it Pink!

I agree that the poetry & drama sections (and for me, nonfiction) are great places to stretch yourself.

Jenny suggested this play and when I read the blurb, I was surprised to find that it was a play I had actually seen! I had no idea when I saw it that it was such a popular play (and sadly, I paid no attention to who wrote it).

I saw it a couple of weeks ago with a friend and we both really liked it. I only went to see it because I knew it was a group read. I'll wait to comment further until others have read it.

Pink wrote: "I couldn't wait, so I started last night and finished this morning. I really enjoyed this play and thought it had a much deeper meaning than the surface topic of the artwork being discussed.

I'm ..."

I totally agree with you. I checked the audio out from the library and just couldn't wait to dive into it. Wonderful play.

Jean wrote: "Pink wrote: "I couldn't wait, so I started last night and finished this morning. I really enjoyed this play and thought it had a much deeper meaning than the surface topic of the artwork being disc..."

Oh, I should see if my library has audio!

I think I enjoyed it more than I would have reading a book. I highly recommend the audio.

I just checked and the audio CD is available:)

How funny, I didn't think I'd ever heard of this playwright, but I've actually seen one of her plays before, The God of Carnage. It was pretty good (though not necessarily spectacular), but based on the description, I'd bet I'll like 'Art' even better.

This is the version of The God of Carnage that I saw: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/cultu...

If I remember correctly she's one of the most performed playwrights at the moment. She's a great novelist too by the way! A few years ago I've read and immensely enjoyed Adam Haberberg by her

I read 2/3 of the play this morning - it's completely hilarious ... and also kind of sad at the same time.

It's about art of course, but it seems to be just as much about how fragile & complex people's self images can be ... about the way the 'art' styles & movements we choose to appreciate become so bound up with our identity and self image that when others fail to appreciate them, it can feel almost like a personal attack on our own tastes, on our "culture," on our own identity even.

How much of this is about appearances and prestige though instead of a genuine emotional response to the art?

I love the part where poor Yves describes his wedding invitation predicament. It's so incredibly petty and infuriating this bickering over which names will appear, and it's so human too! I cracked up about Catherine listening on the extension. This is just how it goes in these petty family squabbles! I don't know whether to laugh or cry! I think everyone on earth has been stuck in one of these infuriating predicaments at one time or another. And really the whole thing is about hurt feelings, bruised self image, about saving face & prestige ... perhaps not really all that different than the causes of Serge's and Marc's dispute and hurt feelings over the painting.

Just a handful of pages left. I do think this one would have the audience laughing uncontrollably! Those of you who saw it in theaters, was there a lot of laughter? Even reading it, I laughed out loud more than once, most recently at the weird moment with the mouse/rat. Just the right kind of dry absurd human moment, his offhand, distracted acknowledgement of the "rat", to be absolutely hilarious with the right actors!

I remember that there were definitely scenes which made the audience laugh Greg. I picked up my copy from the library so I am looking forward to reading it soon!

Things took a bit of a turn there - a bit histrionic for a bit in the last quarter of the play really - but I do love the slightly cryptic metaphor at the end .. the disappearing man. So fascinating!

It brings me back to that funny (and yet serious) babble-quote by Yvan's psychologist:

"If I'm who I am because I'm who I am and you're who you are because you're who you are, then I'm who I am and you're who you are. If, on the other hand, I'm who I am because you're who you are and if you're who you are because I'm who I am, then I'm not who I am and you're not who you are."

If identity depends on others' identities and perceptions, if identity exists in relationships only, maybe things change and half way down the slope the man you think you are vanishes?

Not sure if that's what it means. What do other people make of the cryptic ending image?

I also love the quote by Yvan:

"In fact I can no longer stand any kind of rational argument, nothing formative in this world, nothing great or beautiful in this world has ever been born of a rational argument."

It's overstated, but I have a lot of sympathy for this perspective. Purely intellectual thought can be so easily unmoored.

Overall, a fantastic, thought-provoking play. Sometimes funny, sometimes deadly serious, and often both at the same time. (4.5 stars)

I loved this play and wish that I could see it. Reza uses such a simplistic means (comedy) to unearth some deep thoughts on relationships. I could not stop laughing. The scene where Yvan describes the invitation makes me laugh just thinking about it and the dry sense of humor of Serge is irreplaceable. I rated this one 5. I'm glad that I listened on audio it gave an extra oomph since I'm not seeing it live.

Just started. I see that the first production in the UK had both Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay in. Two excellent actors.

Gill wrote: "Just started. I see that the first production in the UK had both Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay in. Two excellent actors."

That must've been a fantastic production Gill!

Jean wrote: "I loved this play and wish that I could see it. Reza uses such a simplistic means (comedy) to unearth some deep thoughts on relationships. I could not stop laughing. The scene where Yvan describes ..."

I loved that with the invitations too Jean!

The wedding invitation scene was my favorite in the production that I saw. The actor who played it (a local Atlanta actor) just nailed it.

I thought it was interesting that it was 3 male friends. I wonder how it would be different if it were about females?

I think it would be just as excellent with ladies if the right people are chosen. I know that I'm dating myself but does anyone remember Steel Magnolias? In their day those ladies would have nailed it.

I've just reached the section about the wedding invitations, so funny and so, so realistic. I'm glad I'm reading this.

Just finished this. Hmm. I didn't like it much at all. I enjoyed Yvan, and that's about all.

I'm feeling that I must have missed something very important, because I don't see the point of it.

Gill wrote: "Just finished this. Hmm. I didn't like it much at all. I enjoyed Yvan, and that's about all.

I'm feeling that I must have missed something very important, because I don't see the point of it."

Have you seen or read The God of Carnage Gill? It's very similar in terms of the slightly exaggerated buried feelings beneath the social masks. Reza's ideas about identity and social ties are a bit more cynical than mine. I liked 'Art' though, more so than The God of Carnage.

I'm curious to hear what people make of the (view spoiler)[disappearing man in the painting (hide spoiler)] at the very end. It's clearly meant to be symbolic. My best guess is earlier in message # 16 below, but I'd like to know what others think.

Greg, I'm not really sure what that part was meant to mean, although I guess it's open to interpretation and along the lines of what you mentioned above.

Gill, I can agree that there isn't really a point, although that didn't put me off. I liked how realistic it was in how we interact with our friends, portraying or hiding different aspects of our character. As well as deciding whether to be 100% honest in our opinions or to keep quiet to protect friend's feelings. I think we all do this to some degree.

I think I would enjoy it more as a live production, than just reading it.

I was going to say something similar. I enjoyed this, but still only rated it 3 stars as I have trouble loving a play without seeing it performed.

Pink wrote: "I liked how realistic it was in how we interact with our friends, portraying or hiding different aspects of our character. As well as deciding whether to be 100% honest in our opinions or to keep quiet to protect friend's feelings. I think we all do this to some degree.

Definitely Pink! I do think it's a bit exaggerated in both this play and The God of Carnage though, but that's part of the humor, the exaggeration.

Yes definitely exaggerated, to hysterical levels at times, but I guess it needs the added drama to work on stage.

Thanks, just got the batch of books that had the play, read it, and this discussion really helped. Though the play is in a way also about art - as in how any piece gets people talking, starts conversations, increases their understanding of the world, human nature, themselves, etc.