Second Plays

A. A. MilneProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 378K words
Chapters: 38

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Second Plays by A. A. Milne. Author: Milne, A. A. (Alan Alexander), 1882-1956. Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jan 19, 2005

Editor's review

A collection of plays published by A. A. Milne before he became famous for Winnie-the-Pooh, gathering several short plays that showcase his skill as a playwright in light comedy and domestic subjects. Milne's stage works are known for nimble dialogue and gentle situational humor; his characters are mostly middle-class families and everyday social circles, and while conflicts are never intense, he excels at drawing laughter and warmth from trifles. For readers, the value of this book lies in filling in another side of the "father of Winnie-the-Pooh": he was first and foremost a successful commercial playwright. Read it as a sample of early twentieth-century British drawing-room comedy, paying attention to how the rhythm of the lines and the stage directions work together for effect. The Project Gutenberg public-domain electronic edition makes it easy to dip into individual plays at any time, suitable for fragmented reading or reading-aloud practice.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy A. A. Milne's essays and children's literature
Theater enthusiasts interested in early twentieth-century British light comedy
Those who need English short plays for reading-aloud or performance practice
Literature students studying the tradition of British commercial theater

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting Winnie-the-Pooh-style children's stories
Audiences who prefer intense conflict or modern experimental theater
General readers who need a Chinese translation and do not read the English original

Reading tips

Read through one play in order, noting how stage directions and dialogue work together.
Pick a short play and read it aloud to feel the pauses and comic rhythm in Milne's lines.
Before reading, learn the basic conventions of early twentieth-century British drawing-room comedy to better appreciate its charms.
Read alongside Milne's essays to compare his humor across different genres.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book related to Winnie-the-Pooh?

Not directly. This is a collection of Milne's plays, light comedies written for the stage, and belongs to a different genre from the children's literature characters that later made him widely known. It shows another side of Milne as a professional playwright.

Are these plays suitable for staging?

These are finished short plays written for the commercial theater of their day, with relatively simple sets and character arrangements, so in principle they suit small theaters or staged readings. Note, however, the period background and language style; before performing, adapt them locally and confirm the scope of public-domain use.

Can I get into them without knowing British drama?

Yes. The plays center on everyday social and family situations, and the plot barrier is low; the main difficulties are period vocabulary and understated British humor. It is best to start with one play and consult notes or an introduction; once you are familiar with the conventions, the rest will go much more smoothly.

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About the author

A. A. Milne Author · British · 1882–1956

A. A. Milne (1882–1956) was a British writer born in London. He graduated in mathematics from Trinity College, Cambridge, and later edited the magazine Punch. He served in the First World War and afterwards made his name as a writer of comedy, with plays such as Mr. Pim Passes By. His work spans detective fiction, humorous essays, drama and children's literature; the library holds twelve of his titles, including The Red House Mystery, Happy Days, Not that it Matters, If I May, The Sunny Side and Second Plays. He is best known worldwide for his children's books Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, and for the poetry collection When We Were Very Young. His gentle, humorous writing, full of childhood charm and close observation of everyday life, continues to delight readers around the world.