Baal, A Man's a Man, and the Elephant Calf: Early Plays

by Bertolt Brecht

Other authorsEric Bentley (Editor)
Paperback, 1964

Status

Available

Call number

832.912

Collection

Publication

Evergreen / Grove Press (1964), Edition: 7th THUS, Paperback, 218 pages

Description

Baal was the first full-length play written by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. It concerns a wastrel youth who becomes involved in several sexual affairs and at least one murder. A man's a man explores themes of war, human fungibility, and identity. The elephant calf is accused of killing his own mother, and a banana tree is determined to prove his guilt in a trial moderated by the Moon as judge.

User reviews

LibraryThing member yoursources
The remarkable early plays of [the playwright] have now begun to share the attention and applause formerly reserved for his more recent works.
LibraryThing member Devil_llama
Early works from Brecht, including his first play, Baal. Absurdism and nonsense run through what are nearly plotless plays, though if you stick with it, eventually a bare bones plot shows through - typical Brecht. The stories range through time without concern for time markers, allowing the reader
Show More
to figure out where they are with only the cues given by the author. Enjoyable as long as you don't try to force them to make sense in a traditional manner.
Show Less

Language

Original language

German

Physical description

218 p.; 6.8 inches

ISBN

0394174240 / 9780394174242
Page: 0.411 seconds