The Caretaker: And, the Dumb Waiter: Two Plays

One review, until now, is pathetic. This book, featuring two of the absurd, menacing, weighty master's early works is terrific. The Caretaker, along with The Homecoming, The Birthday Party and Old Times is one of Pinter's best, ultimately important, works. It is in my opinion one of the great post-WWII English plays. The Dumb Waiter, similar to The Caretaker in it's setting and brother-like characters, while being a long one-act, is creepier still and more enigmatic. The Caretaker is about a vagabond named Davies, who is taken into a run-down room in a run-down house by Aston, who lives there, and collects things in it, and is the brother of Mick, who owns the building. Initially the relationship between Davies and Aston is kind, generous and progressive. Davies, used to trudging through life homeless is taken aback at the trust and goodwill offered by Aston. When Mick arrives later, Davies must feel out the differing attitude, as Mick looks after his brother, and isn't so easily trusting of the ragged and scruffy Davies. But eventually Aston seems odd (and delivers an amazing monologue testifying to his possible insanity), and Mick more level headed, and both at different times offer Davies a job in the house, as Caretaker. But Pinter being Pinter, the goodwill is possibly unreal, or something else entirely. There is a vague confusion to the play, a lack of specifics, and the characters, in classic masculine style, only say what they think they need to, i.e.: Davies: What do you do-? What do you do...when the bucket's full? Pause. Aston: Empty it. Pause. Davies, somewhat boxed into the house by weather and possibility never knows his place, as the brothers, who rarely are in the room together, keep him off balance. The truth becomes elusive, as do the facts. One never knows one's place, or how each feels about the other. A scary moment comes when Davies, flustered by the erratic behavior of Aston, calls him "nutty" to his brother, Mick. To which Mick replies: "You get a bit out of your depth sometimes, don't you?" The Dumb Waiter is more absurd then The Caretaker. Two guys, possibly hitmen, possibly waiters, staying in a basement room, awaiting orders to do something, must contend with a dumb waiter that begins to descend with notes requesting food. The room clearly not a kitchen, and they not sure what is going on upstairs, instead put the little food they have in the dumb waiter, which ascends and descends several times. The trapped nature of Gus and Ben lends that Pinter menace to the story. Each has a gun, and seems ready to kill. But a lack of information, either known to them, or expressed by them so we know, keeps the lid on the proverbial pot. These both are classic plays. I highly recommend this book.

Both of these works are wonderful in the sense of making the reader think. Not only are you thrust head first into the plays, but your perception is what makes the endings. Pinter's stlye, form and intellect deliver in both of the works and are challenging without being difficult. Both works have character that people can relate to, wonderful dialogue, and mental involovement. I highly recommend both works!