George Bernard Shaw

This book makes a departure from most contemporary studies of Shaw by giving undivided attention to critical interpretation and assessment of the plays themselves , and of Shaw's character and development as a dramatist. Particular attention is placed upon the early and middle period of Shaw's career, up to and including Heartbreak House, though the later plays are not overlooked. New interpretations are offered for several of the plays, and an endeavour made to isolate and account for Shaw's peculiar strengths and limitations. A final chapter examines Shaw's treatment at the hands of the critics, and argues that he has had less than his due from them, compared to other modern writers to whose cultural worlds he presents an interesting and significant challenge.