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The Real Arthur Miller

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Member Reviews

An engrossing tale about a man that was larger than life. I love reading biographies, and this held my attention and left me wanting more, which is always a good sign. The story was well written, thoughtful, and poignant.
I knew Arthur miller led a fascinating life, but not quite this fascinating! I'd love to hear this in audible form.

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Arthur Miller was undeniably one of the greatest American playwrights of the 20th century. His Death of a Salesman provided a savage indictment of the worst excesses of American consumer capitalism while The Crucible represented a damning criticism of the brutal bullying nature of the 1950s McCarthyite anti-communist crackdown viewed through the prism of a true life 17th century narrative. Miller himself bravely stood up to the notorious House on Un-American Activities during the worst period of its shameful existence. As if all this wasn't enough for one life, there's also the issue of his marriage to Marilyn Monroe to consider..
Fascinating though this story is, however, the book is poorly written with exclamation marks used virtually used everywhere. Perhaps check out Arthur Miller's own autobiograpry, Timebends instead.

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I received a free copy of, The Real Arthur Miller, by Andrew Norman, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Arthur Miller is a complex man. He was a great writer, Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, and A view from the Bridge, some of his most famous plays. I remember reading some of these in school. Mr. Miller, had a lot of thoughts and opinions on a range of topics. This was an interesting read on a talented man.

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The Real Arthur Miller - The Playwright Who Cared by Andrew Norman is a stunning biography that delves deep into the inspiration behind this incredible playwright most famous for Death of a Salesman, but also The Crucible, A View from the Bridge and Misfits

Arthur Miller was the epitome of defying convention despite adversity. Miller and his family endured many, many hardships, including the Great Depression, the extensive Anti-Semitism of the far right in the US (which is also widely under-reported for the era prior to WWII and the holocaust) and McCarthyism, where innovators were considered part of the "red-wave" which was a construct of McCarthy's extensive fearmongering to try and ensure his election success

This type of adversity can either break a person or light a fire within them. In Miller, it was the latter. He refused to be cowed by hate and intolerance and instead, honed his skills, stayed true to his path and became one of the greatest playwrights of all time.

Millers's story is wonderfully told in this book. Andrew Norman has a great flow and while he is comunicating fact, it is told with a great empathy and understanding for this wonderful icon of free-thinking and creative genius

A stunning biography which shines a light on a man who lit up the way for many to create and think in ways that helped our soceity evolve into a new age

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Pen & Sword, White Owl and the wonderful author(s) Verity Bright for this lovely ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

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