The School For Scandal (Classic Books on Cassettes Collection)

Book Description

New Mermaids are modernized and fully-annotated editions of classic English plays. Each volume includes:

• The playtext, in modern spelling, edited to the highest bibliographical and textual standards
• Textual notes recording significant changes to the copytext and variant readings
• Glossing notes explaining obscure words and word-play
• Critical, contextual and staging notes
• Photographs of productions where applicable
• A full introduction which provides a critical account of the play, the staging conventions of the time and recent stage history; discusses authorship, date, sources and the text; and gives guidance for further reading.

Edited and updated by leading scholars and printed in a clear, easy-to-use format, New Mermaids offer invaluable guidance for actor, student, and theatre-goer alike.

Customer Reviews:

Easy to Read - Great Comedy More Than Two Centuries Later.......2003-08-21

The School for Scandal was a pleasant surprise. We meet devious and unscrupulous characters, not the ragtag pickpockets found in later stories by Dickens, but self-centered members of the leisure class in London. The cast includes the appropriately named Lady Sneerwell, Mr. Snake, Mr. Crabtree, Sir Benjamin Backbite, Mrs. Candour, and the superficial Mr. Surface - individuals all too capable of undermining the most refined and honest reputations with innuendoes and ingenious fabrications.

Unlike the literature and poetry of the preceding centuries, footnotes are not needed for this late eighteenth century play. I read the entire play in a single session, and clearly this is a comedy to be relished, one whose enjoyment comes as naturally today as when it was first staged at Drury Lane theater in London in 1777.

Why does Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play still resonate with today's audience? Sheridan offers a deliciously humorous look at that fascinating and seemingly unchanging human characteristic, the propensity to gossip, to tell tales about others with only limited concern for the truth. Like Mrs. Candour, we all claim to abhor gossip, and would not ourselves consider creating fictitious tales, but are we immune from conveying stories about others, even stories which are suspect?

Lady Sneerwell rationalizes: Wounded myself in the early part of my life by the envenomed tongue of slander, I have since known no pleasure equal to the reducing others to the level of my own injured reputation.

Mr. Snake, another memorable villain, explains: I beg your ladyship ten thousand pardons: you paid me extremely liberally for the lie in question, but I unfortunately have been offered double to speak the truth.

The School for Scandal is a classic example of an English comedy of manners. The dialogue is witty and entertaining. The plot is elaborate and contrived, but always maintains interest and momentum as Sheridan brings his intertwined subplots to an entertaining and satisfactory conclusion. Along the way we encounter devious plots and counterplots, disguised identities, and outrageous behavior. It is great fun.

Good satire of gabby society.......2002-09-13

Sheridan's phrase "school for scandal" is a grand metaphor for the gossipy London society of the late 1770's, and the longevity of the play that bears it as its title attests to its relevance in any place and time. Sheridan captures the inherent drama and humor in the truism that people are always talking about other people behind their backs and uses it as a foundation on which to devise a plot of intrigue.

The school's "principals" are Lady Sneerwell and a man named Snake, who like to collect gossip about their neighbors and others in London society; one of their cohorts is the brilliantly ironic character Mrs. Candour, who openly reprehends idle gossip but blithely participates in it anyway. One of their favorite subjects of gossip is the Surface brothers, Joseph and Charles. The popular perception is that Joseph is responsible and respectable, while Charles is a wastrel and a miscreant.

The Surface brothers' uncle, Sir Oliver Surface, returns to London after spending many years in India, hears the rumors about his nephews, and decides to verify them for the purpose of choosing an heir between the two. Since he has been gone so long that his nephews would not recognize him, he visits them incognito. Posing as a moneylender to Charles, and as a poor relative to Joseph, he discovers that his nephews are not quite of the natures he has been led to believe.

Sheridan employs some typical comedic devices like love triangles and hiding characters, but for the most part this is an inventive play that picks its targets well and hits the bullseye every time. Considering it was written at such a turbulent time in England's history, it's interesting that social satire still managed to break through greater national concerns and be successful and appreciated.

Delightfully Scandalous.......2002-01-02

This book made it fun and delightful to follow how rumors and scandals are started. Anyone who wants a ligth hearted read in the style of a Shakespearean comedy, "School for Scandal" by Richard Sheridan is for you. It has the most entertaining characters, who anyone could recognize as being people they know and are friends with, and it pokes fun at soap-opera-like dramas that have forbidden loves and misleading coincidences. The situations that arise seem so unthinkable and impossible, and then you realize that you or someone you know has been there right down to the last detail. "School for Scandal" is a entertaining read for anyone who has ever passed on a rumor.

Comedy of Manners.......2001-08-04

The aptly named Sir Oliver Surface would like to know which of his nephews is the more worthy, and, well, nothing is ever simple. This comedy of manners is one of the best ever written, and it rings true 225 years after its first performance thanks to its snide comments on English aristocrats and one-liners such as "I'm called away by particular business. But I leave my character behind me."

The Dover Thrift edition has no introduction or analysis. Intoduction and analysis are of course not necessary, but in some situations they are nice things to have.

Average customer rating:

be careful when describing your hero!

Without a Doubt One of the Best Romances I've Ever Read

Great characters distinguish this Regency romance

Great characters distinguish this Regency romance

Very good

School for Scandal: How to Kiss a Hero
Sandy Hingston
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0440235340
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Book Description

"Society is a formidable foe. And a young lady needs the proper weapons if she is to be more than a mere bauble on a rich man's arm. I will provide the weapons. It is up to each student to find her passions."

Tucked away in the countryside, away from prying eyes, Mrs. Treadwell's Academy for Young Ladies is a place like no other. After all, only the most scandalous school would teach young ladies to trust their passions, to think for themselves, and to achieve their true potential--in life as well as in love....

Nichola Hainesworth's desperate mother enrolled her at the Academy to master the fine art of marrying well. But Nichola has other plans. At first, she intends to escape. But soon she is drawn to the school's scandalously unorthodox fencing lessons . . . and its irresistibly arrogant instructor. A wounded war hero, Lord Brian Boru makes Nichola's heart race as he guides each thrust and parry. His rakish reputation would make her mother swoon, but Nichola sees beyond the Scotsman's fierce facade to the guarded heart beneath. And while the cardinal rule of swordplay is never to let one's heart overrule one's head, Nichola Hainesworth is about to learn that most rules are made to be broken!

Watch for the next stunningly romantic School for Scandal novel, coming soon from Dell.

Customer Reviews:

be careful when describing your hero!.......2000-06-06

I just finished How To Kiss A Hero and I really had to work to do that. I just couldn't get the first image I had of the hero out of my mind and, believe me, it wasn't an image I wanted to have etched there permanently. I think an author has to be careful when describing her characters to her audience. In this case, she was describing Brian Boru as this huge man sitting in a chair ordering people to get things for him and all I could think of was JABBA the HUTT in Star Wars. She made him sound so enormous and being barely able to move. And it sounded like he was about eighty-five years old. I really had trouble seeing him as a romantic lead. I know he suffered for his country and all, but come on, it's a romance. After all, it was just one knee wasn't it. Surely he didn't have to hobble like he did. As for Nichola, she was horrendous. She was just plain flighty and stupid. Wanting to be a soldier. And talk about easy. THis was a very advanced for its time school for girls. Like I said, I really had to push to finish this book. I'm not even going to donate this one to the library. I will try to unload it at my yard sale.

Without a Doubt One of the Best Romances I've Ever Read.......2000-05-13

This book is so wonderful. The words seem to reach out of the page and embrace you, and the author makes you care about the characters, and yet it still maintained a light and humorous tone.

The story, incidentally, is about a young woman named Nicole, whose critical mother drops her off at a debutant farm to learn how to be a "lady." Unfortunately, Nicole is hopeless. However, she does find joy in her daily fencing lessons. Eventually, the school hires a rather infamous war hero ("Bullocksing Brown," I believe it was)to teach her the finer points of sword play, and things generally progress from those phallic symbols and onward, until Nicole's younger brother gets wind of the affair, and then the fur begins to fly!

The end was a little murky, not to mention blaringly unrealistic (I thought the main characters' reunion would have been more poignant had it come about without all the kidnapping, etc.), but I still list this book as one of my favorites. A definite keeper!

Great characters distinguish this Regency romance.......2000-04-29

Nichola Hainesworth is eighteen years old and about to be married off by her formidable mother, the Baroness. Nichola, however, has no intention of entering the "marriage market". She realizes that a girl like her, taller than most and only attractive, rather than beautiful, would not exactly be "sought after" by eligible bachelors. Most importantly, Nichola is too intelligent to subject herself to one of the loveless marriages which are so common among her peers. Instead, Nichola wishes to do something important and useful with her life. A true tomboy, she plans to follow the example of her older brothers, and run off to join England's army and fight Napoleon.

However, the Baroness Hainesworth has other ideas for her only daughter. She wishes Nichola to marry, and to marry well. To that end, the Baroness enrolls Nichola in Mrs. Treadwell's Academy for Young Ladies. What the Baroness does not know is that while Mrs. Treadwell's does indeed teach young ladies the "gentle arts", it also strives to help them discover their true selves by allowing them to pursue other subjects not usually taught to young ladies. Some of the students find fulfillment in the sciences, and some in literature. The athletic Nichola develops a passion for fencing. Soon, Nichola's skill surpasses that of her fencing instructor, the scandalous Countess d'Oliveri, who is Mrs. Treadwell's silent partner in the Academy.

Enter Lord Brian Boru. Nichola first encounters Lord Boru at a ball, where she spies the imposing Scotsman lounging indolently in a chair, ordering servants to perform the most mean tasks for him. He is exactly what Nichola despises in the ton, and she wastes no time in letting Lord Boru know what she thinks of him. To her mortification, Nichola later learns that the reason for Lord Boru's lethargy is not laziness, but a crippling war wound. She attempts to apologize at a later meeting with him but is rebuffed, perhaps because Lord Boru dislikes himself as much as Nichola does. Nichola is surprised when Lord Boru, who is a friend of the Countess, appears at the Academy as her new fencing instructor. However, she is intrigued by his considerable fencing skill, and as time goes on, intrigued by the man. As their lessons continue, Nichola and Lord Boru fall in love...

The two lead characters in this book were enchanting. Nichola and Lord Boru are real people - attractive, passionate, emotional, and even have some flaws. I loved that they weren't the usual perfect gods and goddesses that some leads in romance novels can be. Also, I enjoyed the way their love affair helped them to change and grow. In one touching scene, Nichola looks in a mirror after a lesson with Lord Boru, and for the first time, sees herself as a beautiful woman. And it is truly gratifying to see the way that Lord Boru regains his self respect, through his relationship with Nichola.

I have two small quibbles with the book. Although the story was original and interesting up to the commencement of Nichola and Lord Boru's love affair, it ventured into usual Regency fare after that (apparently a lot of women were kidnapped during this era). Also, the narrative was jumpy in some spots, and I had to re-read a few scenes to figure out exactly what was happening (even during a major love scene!). With these qualifications, I enjoyed the book and will definitely buy Ms. Hingston's next novel.

Great characters distinguish this Regency romance.......2000-04-29

Very good.......2000-04-23

I admit that in the beginning I could not understand how the hero could possible fall for Nichola. She was tedious, naive, and ill-mannered. Boy, did I grow to like her! She grew so much throughout the story. Lord Brian was equally complex as the tormented hero. He was so large and strong and compelling, and yet so unwilling to accept his affliction.

The pacing of the story was a bit uneven. It would move along nicely and then slow down. Also the additional characters were rather flat. The scandalous Countess, the society matron, the harridan mother(Nichola's), the concerned brother, they could have been more developed. I did like Lord Wallingford though, he was really quite sweet and made me laugh.

Book Description

Illus. in black-and-white. The cubs of Bear Country School learn something about freedom of the press--and the responsibilities that go with it--when they put out The Cub Reporter, an underground newspaper that gives the teachers and administration a failing grade.

Customer Reviews:

BBears Book Review.......2007-01-09

Yet again, another great book for our little reader! These are the perfect books for the 1st Grader who is beyond the early reader chapter books!

Berenstain Bears and the School Scandal Sheet.......2001-08-06

This book is funny because of the plot, especially the middle part of the story. The most funny part is that part of Teacher Bob dating. But there are a lot of other moments I can't recall, but the authors really did a good job on this book.

American Political Scandals Past and Present

Average customer rating:

Highlights of Political Scandal

American Political Scandals Past and Present
Barbara Silberdick Feinberg
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

Politics & Government | Reference & Nonfiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0531111261

Customer Reviews:

Highlights of Political Scandal.......2002-11-12

Published in 1991, this book highlights the lows of political scandals from Andrew Jacksonýs unintentionally bigamous marriage (1971) to the Savings and Loan scandals of the early 1990s. Dr. Feinberg describes a political scandal as ýanything in a public officialýs professional or personal life that defies the code of conduct Americans set for themselves.ý She astutely notes that since morals change, so may the behavior thought sufficient to reach scandal status. She excludes scandals that do not involve political or personal morality (although many early scandals such as the ýPeggy Eaton Affairý seem to fall outside this scope), and does not discuss unverified accusations. Thus, she mentions (in Chapter 1) that there ýis no mentioný of the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings or the charge that the release of hostages in Iraq was timed to influence the 1980 election.

For the most part, the book focuses on egregious and important scandals, along with a few of the more vivid episodes (e.g., the beating of Senator Sumner in the Senate Chamber, and the Hamilton/Burr duel) to keep things interesting. Dr. Feinberg categorizes the many scandals into ýViolent Political Quarrels,ý ýControversial Election Returns,ý ý Affairs of the Heart,ý ýPolitical Office for Personal Profit,ý ýPublic Displays of Personal Misconduct,ý ýand ýAbuse of Power.ý Unfortunately, the book predates the impeachment of Clinton, and the 2002 election irregularities, although there is an excellent section on the abuses of Iran-Contra (although the defense position is not discussed). She wisely concludes, ýalthough the government is not scandal proof, it is not permanently scandal-ridden,ý and she reminds readers of the governmental and journalistic checks against scandal. Although limited by its brevity, Dr. Feinberg presents three theories about the prevalence of scandal in the Grant, Harding, Nixon, and Reagan eras. Teachers and students will be pleased with the bookýs bibliography, glossary, six pages of source notes, timeline, and index.

Average customer rating:

who did murphy make mad in chi-town?

It's Keanu REEVES, not REAVES!

The Chicago Mafia

What's the Point?

Avoid this book

Day of Reckoning: The Massacre at Columbine High School
John F. Murphy
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

who did murphy make mad in chi-town?.......2004-03-19

i don't get it. who did mr. murohy piss off in illinois? come on people, at least the guy got a book published. all you can do is waste your time sitting around, making up names, and writing bad reviews. it was a interesting take on this awful time in our beloved american history. hey wait, arn't most of them awful anyway? get a life people.

It's Keanu REEVES, not REAVES!.......2002-10-19

This is the one thing that PLAGUED me while reading this book. Oooh... the characters in the Matrix wore trenchcoats and Harris & Klebold loved the Matrix, so that's why they wore trenchcoats! Guess what, so do Hassidic Jews! So do people when it's raining! And it's not Samuel L. Jackson in the Matrix, it's Laurence Fishburne... you'd think Murphy would get at least that information right with all the facts he cited from the wondrous internet he recently discovered.

The Chicago Mafia.......2002-10-12

Good God! Why didn't the contingent from Chicago designate one person to be the official reviewer? Blah Blah Blah Blah. I am sorry that it sounds like you HAD to read this book, and I can see why you didn't like it, but come on. 59 reviews? And let me just say this to some, not all, of you reviewers : from a guy who isn't a wizard at spelling himself, a few of you are living in glass houses when it comes to grammar and spelling. Check back and see if I'm lying. At least you're reading.

What's the Point?.......2002-10-09

I feel that this book is very poorly written. This book totally lost my interest. I just couldn't get into it because every bit of it was facts, restated over and over again. I don't at all mind that his book was based on facts, I just didn't think his presentation was very effective. Overall I feel this book was written very poorly because the subject matter wasn't given very much thought. One may even assume that it was written on
a rush, in order to capitalize.

Avoid this book.......2002-10-05

Day of Reckoning was a book, at least according to the title, about the Columbine High School shooting which took place in April of 1999. The perpetrators, Erik Harris and Dylan Klebold, went on a shooting rampage in which they killed and wounded a number of their classmates. Murphy tried very hard to present as much background information into the shootings in order to explain the motive behind the shootings. Unfortunately, there was just too much information presented which at times seemed very difficult to follow the subject matter. For example, there was just too much information about the Internet, modems, and computers as well as way too much information on certain music bands which Erik and Dylan were fans of. Murphy also wrote way too many personal comments in order to drive his point. In my opinion, a book such as this should present the facts in a scholastic and unbiased manner. Murphy clearly did not just present facts but rather mix some facts with his personal opinions. Another big problem was that there way too many grammatical errors in the text. Whoever was responsible for grammatical correctness of the book certainly failed their job.

Why Johnny Still Can't Read: A New Look at the Scandal of Our Schools

Average customer rating:

Why Illiteracy Is STILL a Problem in 2007
This book is MANY things.
fantastic tool for parents faced with our school failure
Better than the original

Why Johnny Still Can't Read: A New Look at the Scandal of Our Schools
Rudolf Franz Flesch
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0060910313

Customer Reviews:

Why Illiteracy Is STILL a Problem in 2007.......2007-06-13

In this excellent book Rudolph Flesch systematically destroys all the empty excuses offered by educators trying to hang on to Whole Word, most famously, "Your Child Isn't Ready," "We Do Teach Phonics," "No One Method Is Best," and seven others, ALL STILL USED TODAY.

Throughout his life, Flesch took on our education establishment and, in the short term, lost. Sure, his book Why Johnny Can't Read was a bestseller in 1956; and this second one on the same theme was a big bestseller in 1981. But Flesch was trying to save the country from what he viewed as a plague; and in that he did not succeed. He died depressed, thinking that the promoters of Whole Word had won. Indeed, this [...] actually reached its peak around 1995, almost a decade after Flesch died.

Read either of these books and you will be asking: How could Flesch's clear, concise and devastating analysis, presented in two bestsellers, be vanquished by the flimsy fallacy known as Whole Word??? Ah, that is a great question you ask there. Dare we mention that some publishers made mega-millions selling Dick and Jane nonsense? Or that some educators seem to have built stellar careers on the backs of functional illiterates? Can we speak of conspiracy? Let me just note one of the past century's most peculiar facts: as "progressive" educators worked tirelessly to discredit Flesch, our media and academics stood silently aside.

The saga continues. Today's educators use the phrase "Balanced Literacy," which seems to mean: as much Whole Word as they can get away with.

This book is MANY things........2006-12-22

"Why Johnny STILL Can't Read" by Rudolf Flesch

This book is the sequel to Flesch's earlier book, "Why Johnny Can't Read"; but this book is a continuation and it is many things to many people. I used it as an aid for educating myself as a homeschooling parent.

More than this, Flesch's book is a brief history of the English language, explaining how English was taught in the past several hundred years, show why children learned English so easily in the past. At the time of the American Revolution, Americans were a very literate society. Many people read and wrote with fluency. Flesch tells what happened. The historical aspects of the English language is very exciting.

More than this, Flesch's work is an indictment of the relationship between large publishing companies and the public school system.

Other books of interest are those written by John Holt, and John Taylor Gatto

fantastic tool for parents faced with our school failure.......2006-09-07

This book IS better than the original. It not only discusses the systemic failure of our teachers and schools to teach reading rationally, but also exposes the devious methods that incompetent teachers and districts use to dupe parents into believing that their children's school failure is the fault of the child. Any parent who hasn't read this book, along with his children, is just a sheep going to the slaughter.

Better than the original.......2000-05-02

``Why Johnny STILL can't read'' is even better than the original work, ``Why johnny can't read''.

The first book was mainly a primer on phonic reading, with enough about the phonics debate to justify following his program. The second book is devoted exclusively to the ongoing debate about phonics, and makes for fascinating reading--especially if you get steamed by incompetence, and are fascinated by conflict.

Some thirty years after the first book was written, Rudolph Flesch observes that things haven't improved in reading class. Kids still get through school functionally illiterate, and the perpetrators of this crime still claim that we need THEM to solve the problem.

Too bad it's out of print! Well worth reading.

Average customer rating:

Hilarious!

The School for Scandal and Other Plays (Oxford World's Classics)
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0192825674

Book Description

Richly exploited comic situations, effervescent wit, and intricate plots combine to make Sheridan's work among the best of of all English comedy. The School for Scandal (1777) is his masterpiece, a brilliantly crafted comedy of contrasts in which brothers Joseph and Charles Surface contend for Maria, with hilariously differing intentions and results. Also a work of acute comic irony, The Rivals satirizes the romantic posturing of Lydia Languish while her disguised suitor Captain Absolute's resourceful contrivances advance an ever inventive and skilfully wrought plot. Included in this edition are the opera play The Duenna and the rarely printed musical play A Trip to Scarborough, adapted from Vanbrugh's The Relapse. Sheridan's last play, The Critic, is an exuberant parody of the modish tragic drama of the day. Lampooning Sir Fretful Plagiary's absurdly bombastic historical drama during its confused stages of production, its satire never fails to delight. The texts of the plays have been newly edited by the General Editor of the Oxford World's Classics English Drama series. A fine introduction and notes on Sheridan's playhouses and critical inheritance make this an invaluable edition for study and performance alike.

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious!.......2000-05-18

This edition includes three of Sheridan's most famous works. "The Rivals" and "The Critic" are both fine plays, but the best by far is "The School for Scandal", a droll farce which lampoons gossip-mongers. The high point of the play is the famous "screen scene", in which one character after another takes refuge behind a screen to eavesdrop. The humor is sharp but never bitter, and the characters are wholly believable. It is easy to see why this play is still being performed after two hundred years.

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The School for Scandal
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Manufacturer: Digireads.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1420927159

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