This is Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice as you've never seen it before-in the Shavian alphabet. The alphabet takes its name from Irish writer Bernard Shaw who inspired and posthumously funded it. Shaw believed there should be a simpler way to write English. His wish was fulfilled in 1962 following a worldwide competition. The result was a bespoke alphabet for English, with a unique letter for each of the 40 or so basic sounds we all use today. Whether you view this book as a linguistic curiosity, an eccentricexperiment, or as inspiration to explore the possibilities of spellingreform, it shows one thing: English spelling does not have to remain trapped in the Middle Ages. There is no better way to get to know this curious alphabet with its colourful history than by reading one of the best novels in the English language. At the very least, it may help answer one question: how do you pronounce Georgiana?

A Contemporary Shavian Manifesto presents an appraisal of George Bernard Shaw’s position on women in his plays. The dramatist’s unconventional approach itself is praiseworthy as he creates unwomanly women who are deviant and create their own space outside social conventions and practices. In creating a counterpoint to the norm, Shaw succeeds in creating the image of a “new woman” who is no longer “the angel of the house”. The book explores the ways in which Shaw addresses gender inequality in society through an examination of women’s role in the social, religious, moral and economic spheres. In addition to studying Shaw’s exploration of the radical woman, this book traces his attempts to project a “new woman” who is the pursuer rather than being pursued. The playwright questions the relegation of woman to the domestic space, the arbitrary distribution of duties between men and women and patriarchally-determined codes of conduct imposed upon woman. His foregrounding of women as the force behind what he calls “Creative Evolution” achieves a kind of feminisation of the “life force”, the central theme in his plays.

When George Bernard Shaw died in 1950, the world lost one of its most well-known authors, a revolutionary who was as renowned for his personality as he was for his humour, humanity, and rebellious thinking. He remains a compelling figure who deserves attention not only for how influential he was in his time, but for how relevant he is to ours. This collection sets Shaw's life and achievements in context, with forty-two scholarly essays devoted to subjects that interested him and defined his work. Contributors explore a wide range of themes, moving from factors that were formative in Shaw's life, to the artistic work that made him most famous and the institutions with which he worked, to the political and social issues that consumed much of his attention, and, finally, to his influence and reception. Presenting fresh material and arguments, this collection will point to new directions of research for future scholars.

This reading of Bernard Shaw focuses on his habit of seeing the world in terms of contraries, a habit related to his basic rejection of absolutes, his distaste for finality. The author examines nine of Shaw's finest plays: Man and Superman, Major Barbara, John Bull's Other Island, The Doctor's Dilemma, Pygmalion, Misalliance, Heartbreak House, Saint Joan, and Back to Methuselah. The book takes seriously Shaw's claim that all of his characters are "right from their several points of view." We are compelled to respect the qualities and values of opposing and very different characters in these plays, and we also have a sense of their complementary defects. J. L. Wisenthal's commentary sheds light on Shaw's techniques of portrayal as well as his dialectical habit of mind. This finely written essay is for all lovers of Shaw and the theater.

(Applause Books). "With the single exception of Homer, there is no eminent writer, not even Sir Walter Scott, whom I can despise so entirely as I despise Shakespeare when I measure my mind against his." - From SHAW ON SHAKESPEARE Celebrated playwright, critic and essayist George Bernard Shaw was more like the Elizabethan master that he would ever admit. Both men were intristic dramatists who shared a rich and abiding respect for the stage. Shakespeare was the produce of a tempestuous and enlightening era under the reign of his patron, Queen Elizabeth I; while G.B.S. reflected the racy and risque spirt of the late 19th century as the champion of modern drama by playwrights like Ibsen, and, later, himself. Culled from Shaw's reviews, prefaces, letters to actors and critics, and other writings, SHAW ON SHAKESPEARE offers a fascinating and unforgettable portrait of the 16th century playwright by his most outspoken critic. This is a witty and provocative classic that combines Shaw's prodigious critical acumen with a superlative prose style second to none (except, perhaps, Shakespeare!).