The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (1914) by: Robert Tressell ( NOVEL ) - Softcover

Tressell, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1545518122 ISBN 13: 9781545518120

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017

Synopsis

The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists is a novel by Robert Tressell first published in 1914 after his death in 1911. An explicitly political work, it is widely regarded as a classic of working-class literature. Clearly frustrated at the refusal of his contemporaries to recognise the inequity and iniquity of society, Tressell's cast of hypocritical Christians, exploitative capitalists and corrupt councillors provide a backdrop for his main target — the workers who think that a better life is "not for the likes of them". Hence the title of the book; Tressell paints the workers as "philanthropists" who throw themselves into back-breaking work for poverty wages in order to generate profit for their masters. The hero of the book, Frank Owen, is a socialist who believes that the capitalist system is the real source of the poverty he sees all around him. In vain he tries to convince his fellow workers of his world view, but finds that their education has trained them to distrust their own thoughts and to rely on those of their "betters". Much of the book consists of conversations between Owen and the others, or more often of lectures by Owen in the face of their jeering; this was presumably based on Tressell's own experiences.

About this title

Review:

"Speaks with passion and eloquence"--"Guardian"

"Sparkles with so much wit and integrity it is impossible not to warm to the ethos that lies at its very core"--"The Stage"

"Wisely, Howard Brenton has shown confidence in Tressell's original story and has concentrated on creating a piece of theatre without compromising the impact of the original text...Brenton has produced the definitive stage version."--"Amateur Stage"
"Speaks with passion and eloquence"--"Guardian"
"Sparkles with so much wit and integrity it is impossible not to warm to the ethos that lies at its very core"--"The Stage"
"Wisely, Howard Brenton has shown confidence in Tressell's original story and has concentrated on creating a piece of theatre without compromising the impact of the original text...Brenton has produced the definitive stage version."--"Amateur Stage"

-Speaks with passion and eloquence---Guardian
-Sparkles with so much wit and integrity it is impossible not to warm to the ethos that lies at its very core---The Stage
-Wisely, Howard Brenton has shown confidence in Tressell's original story and has concentrated on creating a piece of theatre without compromising the impact of the original text...Brenton has produced the definitive stage version.---Amateur Stage

"Speaks with passion and eloquence"--Guardian

"Sparkles with so much wit and integrity it is impossible not to warm to the ethos that lies at its very core"--The Stage

"Wisely, Howard Brenton has shown confidence in Tressell's original story and has concentrated on creating a piece of theatre without compromising the impact of the original text...Brenton has produced the definitive stage version."--Amateur Stage

"Speaks with passion and eloquence"--Guardian

"Sparkles with so much wit and integrity it is impossible not to warm to the ethos that lies at its very core"--The Stage

"Wisely, Howard Brenton has shown confidence in Tressell's original story and has concentrated on creating a piece of theatre without compromising the impact of the original text...Brenton has produced the definitive stage version."--Amateur Stage

About the Author:

HOWARD BRENTON's early plays were produced at the Royal Court, RSC and National Theatre, where Romans in Britain (1980) was famously prosecuted by Mary Whitehouse. He wrote for TV's Spooks, before returning to the stage with Paul (2005) and Never So Good at the National and In Extremis at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. He lives in Camberwell, London. ROBERT TRESSELL died in 1911 and was buried in a pauper's grave. His famous novel, based on his own life as a painter-decorator, was first published in 1914 in a shortened form; over the next 30 years it achieved cult status as more and more of the original became available.

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1545518122
• ISBN 13: 9781545518120
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 244