THE PRIVATE LIFE OF THE MASTER RACE: A DOCUMENTARY PLAY

[One of Brecht's Most Famous Plays & the 1st of His Openly Anti-Nazi Works] Brecht, Bertolt, author; Bentley, Eric, translator & introductory essay

Published by New York: New Directions Books, Published by James Laughlin, 1944

About this Item

First English Language Edition. 8vo, Original boards with dustjacket. 140 pages. illustrated with a portrait of Brecht and his wife by Ernst van Leyden. 19 x 15 cm. In English. This Holocaust-era play consists of seventeen of the twenty-eight scenes of Brecht's chronicle "Fears and miseries of the third reich." It gives a description of Hitler's New Order in Germany in the 20th century. "Fear and Misery of the Third Reich (German: Furcht und Elend des Dritten Reiches), also known as The Private Life of the Master Race, is one of Bertolt Brecht's most famous plays and the first of his openly anti-Nazi works. It premiered on 21 May 1938 in Paris. This production was directed by Slatan Dudow and starred Helene Weigel. The production employed Brecht's epic theatre techniques to defamiliarize the behaviour of the characters and to make explicit the play's underlying message. The play consists of a series of playlets, portraying National Socialist Germany of the 1930s as a land of poverty, violence, fear and pretence. Nazi antisemitism is depicted in several of the sketches, including 'the Physicist', 'Judicial Process', and 'the Jewish Wife'. It was followed by many more plays that were openly anti-Nazi (Arturo Ui, etc.) and attempted a Marxist analysis. They were written while Brecht was in exile in Denmark and were inspired by a visit to Moscow, where he experienced the growing significance of the anti-Nazi movement there." (Wikipedia) SUBJECT(S): Fascism -- Germany -- 20th century -- Drama. Authors, German -- 20th century. German literature -- 20th century. German drama -- 20th century. OCLC: 611844 Some markings. Light wear to dust jacket. Very Good Condition in Very Good Jacket. Very Attractive Copy (PSB-1-12-LEXCCGG-'m).

Seller Inventory # 43498

Bibliographic Details

• Title: THE PRIVATE LIFE OF THE MASTER RACE: A DOCUMENTARY PLAY
• Publisher: New York: New Directions Books, Published by James Laughlin
• Publication Date: 1944
• Binding: Hardcover
• Dust Jacket Condition: dj
• Seller catalogs:
  • The Holocaust
  • Americana
  • German & German Speaking Lands