Arthur Miller

School Library Journal

Gr 9 UpThe essays here are drawn from Miller scholars and reviewers, and are clustered around such topics as the writer's stagecraft, his individual plays, themes such as fathers and sons, and the social and political milieu that surround his best-known plays, The Crucible and Death of a Salesman. This is a substantial volume of evenhanded approaches; not every Miller play is an outstanding one, and there is a fair representation of negative criticism. There are articles on plays, such as Miller's collegiate works, which are seldom read, and a biographical sketch as well. The blurb on the back cover claims that the essays in the volume have been edited for a young audience. While this is probably so, the going can get rough. Complexities of diction and difficult sentence constructions are found throughout. On the other hand, there are headings, subheadings, and inserts throughout to break up the reading. This is a useful resource volume to support a high school study of Miller and his plays.Ruth K. MacDonald, Bay Path College, Longmeadow, MA