Tom Stoppard: Plays 5 : Arcadia, The Real Thing, Night & Day, Indian Ink, Hapgood

Tom Stoppard is arguably one of the greatest playwrights of all time (and I do say arguably), and this collection only proves it. I am currently away at college while I write this review, and have pitifully forgotten my battered, dog-eared copy of this book at home, and so I'm pining away because it really is such a staple in my life - I cannot count the amount of times I've pulled out the book and read "The Real Thing", but I'm nearly sure it runs toward the hundred mark. All the plays are exceptional, although the aforementioned "The Real Thing" stands out, along with "Aracadia" and the wonderfully underrated "Indian Ink."

Every time I pick up this collection, I find myself sitting and reading for hours. Something about Stoppard's command of the language, his own personal calling card, is undeniably riveting.And though there are times (especially in Day & Night) where it seems that characters are too clever for their own good, his sense of timing and his love for delivering a smart, believable group of people amazes me.This collection is wonderful in its scope, including everything from the frequently produced "Hapgood" to the more recent treasure "Indian Ink." It's a must-have.

This is a great collection of Tom Stoppard plays, and includes some of his best works.Arcadia is one of Stoppard's greatest plays - a bizarre combination of physics, mathematics, poetry, a good old-fashioned academic stoush and romance (or lust) to boot. A fantastic play to see, but very good to read also.The Real Thing, Hapgood and Indian Ink are also among Stoppard's more mature and better plays, and nicely round out this collection. These are some of Stoppard's better known plays (and you can read reviews of them on their own pages) but I'll just summarise by saying that I think they are fantastic.Night and Day is an earlier Stoppard play and maybe not quite as good - it is concerned with journalism in war-torn Africa and does take a deep look at issues faced by a journalist in that situation. However, in comparison to the other plays in this volume, it just doesn't seem quite as good - however it is still a fine play in its own right and does make for interesting reading nonetheless.Overall, I definitely reccomend this volume, particularly since it's cheaper than buying each of the plays individually.

After seeing Stoppard's "The Real Thing" in London, I was blown away. I purchased this collection to have "The Real Thing," and was blown away but all 5 of Stoppard's masterpieces. He writes convincingly of love, redemption and what it means to exist and to live. I cannot recommend this collection (or anything by Stoppard) enough.