Continuing the tradition established by predecessors, this fourth volume of SHAW covers a spectrum as wide as the Shavian canon itself, an account of the initial reaction to Shaw's plays in France to an analysis of psychological system Shaw employed in his plays. Other essays examine the relationship between the women in Shaw's life and the female characters in his plays, particularly The Millionairess; the parallels between Major Barbara and The Merchant of Venice; the thematic unity of Shaw's "big three": John Bull's Other Island, Man and Superman, and Major Barbara; and the surprising similarities between Too True Be Good and Lady Chatterley's Lover. This volume also contains a selection of Shaw's dramatic criticism from Our Corner, a London monthly of the 1880s, a history of the literary debate between Shaw and William Archer on the writing of The Doctor's Dilemma. Two of the contributors to the annual are best known for their work in other areas: Ray Bradbury, who once again demonstrates his appreciation of Shavian wit, this time in two poems on Shaw and Chesterton, and Constance Cummings, who recounts her experiences playing the lead in Shaw's Saint Joan, one of the highlights of her distinguished career.
Also included are the regular departmental features the "Continuing Checklist of Shaviana" and reviews of relevant new books that keep Shavian scholars and interested readers informed of recent additions in the realm of Shaw studies.
Contributors: Jean-Claude Amalric, Karl Beckson, Charles Berst, Marianne Bosch, Ray Bradbury, Constance Cummings, Richard Dietrich, Bernard Dukore, Daniel Leary, Frederick McDowell, W.R. Martin, Use Pedersen, John R. Pfeiffer, Martin Quinn, Alfred Turco, Jr., Stanley Weintraub, and Sam A. Yorks."
