Sort of Terrible

Well, I haven't worked on a personal blog in some time. No excuse for not posting one, other than getting a new metronome for my birthday to practice 5-4s.

So, I haven't read much lately. I believe I have re-read 'In the Penal Colony' once or twice, but, out of respect, I could not type anything about my favorite story. [No Exit] is the last book (or play, I suppose) I've read with which I feel no prefatory connection.

Honestly, I found it rather bland. The dialogue is unnatural, even by 1946's formality standards. Also, the idea of hell being other people is a bit generalized and contradictory to Sartre's philosophies, expected of Sartre. The semantic simplicity may be a product of translation or, maybe, relatively modern plays were simply written in this fashion; I'm not sure.

The character Inez was quite enjoyable, though. Through what I see as the modern male perspective, I feel it is easier to identify with her rather than the male character, Garcin, as Garcin is a despicable male stereotype. Inez can, however, seem as insensitive and physically overbearing as Garcin at some moments; scenes of her furiously trying to proposition Estelle particularly have this effect. One must consider Inez is being faced with an eternity in the same room as this woman; this is no true excuse, granted, but viewing Inez as the more positive character offers some structure to this otherwise lacking play.