Mr Puntila and His Man Matti - (Modern Classics) by Bertolt Brecht (Paperback)

About the Book

A new paperback edition of what is arguably Brecht's finest comedy, featuring an extensive introduction and commentary and Brecht's own notes.

Book Synopsis

Written in 1940 during Brecht's exile in Finland, Puntila is one of his greatest creations - to be ranked alongside Galileo and Mother Courage. A hard-drinking Finnish landowner, Puntila suffers from a divided personality: when drunk he is human and humane; when sober, surly and self-centred. The play contains some of the best comedy Brecht wrote for the theatre.

This translation by John Willett is accompanied by Brecht's own notes and relevant texts, as well as an extensive introduction and commentary by John Willett and Ralph Manheim, editor's of Brecht's collected plays in English.

From the Back Cover

Long unavailable in this country, Mr. Puntila and His Man Matti comprises some of the best comedy that Bertolt Brecht wrote for the theater and contains one of his great characters. For his complexity and vitality, Mr. Puntila ranks on a par with Brecht's indelible Galileo and Mother Courage. A hard-drinking landowner, Puntila suffers from a split personality: when drunk, he is friendly and humane; when he sobers up, he is intolerable - ruthless, surly, and self-centered. Oscillating between these two poles, he plays havoc with his workers, his women, his daughter's marriage, and the loyalty of his sardonic chauffeur and valet, Matti. This translation is by John Willett, who with Ralph Manheim is the editor of Brecht's complete dramatic work in English. The joint editors have equipped this volume with a critical introduction and notes, along with Brecht's own notes and variants and the short story on which the play was based.

Review Quotes

"At last--the definitive translations of one of the 20th century's most influential playwrights...Far superior to the competition." --Theatre Journal

About the Author

Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) is acknowledged as one of the great dramatists whose work has had a considerable influence on the theatre. His landmark plays include Mother Courage and Her Children, The Threepenny Opera, Life of Galileo, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle.