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Review
"'An engrossing revival of a serious classic' Daily Mail 'New prose translation by Edward Kemp, lucid, colloquial and witty' The Times. 'Edward Kemp's terrific translation balances German gravitas with a comic deftness' FT 'A striking... mix of ethical preaching and comedy - with notable echoes of The Merchant of Venice... this multicultural tale is certainly relevant to our time' Independent on Sunday."
Product Description
London revival for this surprise hit from Chichester on the topical theme of religious tolerance. Opens at Hampstead Theatre in September 2005 - starring Michael Pennington, Jerusalem, 1192. An uneasy stalemate exists between the Muslim forces of Saladin and the western Crusaders. Caught in the middle, the Jews. All sides respect Nathan for his wisdom and his wealth. But in a war-zone no one is secure. Banned by the Nazis, Lessing's 18th-century masterpiece is a passionate plea for religious tolerance, first seen in this version at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2003, unanimously well reviewed.
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First Sentence
NATHAN, in a travelling dress, DAYA meeting him. Read the first page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt
NATHAN, in a travelling dress, DAYA meeting him. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Be tolerant, Be wise,
By
This review is from: Nathan the Wise (Bedford Series in History & Culture) (Paperback)
This play is amongst my favourite books as it has a very clear way of expressing it's message to the reader. I enjoy reading this book very much, even when I read it the first time, which must have been a couple of years ago, as I do now.
At that time my interests were not lying in religion and I was blaming it for the main problem's in our current society, however through Nathan der Weise I learned to understood the importance of tolerance regardless of whatever faith or background, which is especially conveyed at the end of the story. Furthermore the ring parabel is one of the most beautiful way of answering the questions of religion. Although this book is based on the abrahamic religions, I believe that it sets a very good example of tolerance required amongst each other and religion due to the twist in the story. In addition I was looking for a present for a friend of mine and although luckily it was the cheapest choice, it was the best translation I encountered, as such I would advice the translation of Ronald Schechter rather than the other ones. The prices have increased since my initial review though. All in all a very great book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breathtaking,
By Chris Bradley URSULA (Northern Ireland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Nathan the Wise (Paperback)
This is a fantastic read and an even better play. The scene is set in Jerusalem during the times of the CRUSADES. The Reader of the play and any audience is quickly drawn into the story also known as "The Parable of the RING" because of the intriguing story Nathan tells the Sultan.
G.E.Lessing's NATHAN THE WISE can easily be put to stage with 8 to 10 actors and offers a lot for cross-community discussion. The play brings the three so called "book religions": Judaism, Christianity and Islam into dialogue and also encourages communication between the different Christian church traditions to step outside their boxes. The storyline holds the tension well: While NATHAN was away on business, his only daughter was caught in a house fire. A Knight of the Teutonic Order rescues her from the flames narrowly escaping himself. Had he known she was a Jewish girl, would he have rescued her? The young Knight is caught between the teachings of his Church, the kindness of the Muslim Sultan who had spared his life and the Jewish tradesman who is more than street wise. What first develops to be a romance later takes a surprising twist.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews) 21 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughtfull, touching, entertaining, classical literature,
By "coldstarr" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Nathan the Wise (Paperback)
I first read this book (actually it is a play) in highschool and though I generally hated to be forced to read a book I really loved this one. I finished way ahead of schedule. The reason: this book is extremely very well and has an up-to-date message even though it was written several 100 years back. The story is abou a Jewish merchant called Nathan, a templar and Nathan's daughter and the love between the templar and the daughter and the conflicts arising from it. It is set in the time of the crusades and its message is: it does not matter which religion you believe in as long as you are a decent human being. This message was only written in a play because the author was officially forbidden from teaching his reconciliatory views on religion in university! It must have been a hardship for him, but today we can enjoy a literary masterpiece for just that reason. For me it is a perfect book and it might very well be the same for you.
1.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Original Story--NOT a Good Play,
By Shakespearemom - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Nathan the Wise (Paperback)
I admit that I bought this play because one of the original sources of it--a short story--really made an impression on me. I'd considered writing a modern version of it, and then I found a play version already written, and jumped at purchasing it. I'm a playwright, too, so reading plays is something I do a LOT. The format was not the problem. The play, at least for me, was neither moving nor meaningful. The story was lost in strangeness and confusion, and I read through entire scenes several times over, trying to figure out how the arc of the play was served. By the end, the characters seemed no less stilted than at the beginning, and I was utterly disappointed in how the elements were treated. I can only hope that this is not the last time this story is created... it deserves a far better rendition. 1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conflict between religion and tolerance: Reality or myth,
By Rajeet Guha "Bookstore Cormorant" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Nathan The Wise (Paperback)
Lessing played a pivotal role in the German Enlightenment. Lessing's play "Nathan the Wise" is as relevant, if not more so, in the post 9/11 world of the 21st century as it was in the late 18th century when it was written. No single group has a monopoly over religious beliefs and practices. Every individual has the right to exercise freedom over whatever religion he or she chooses to follow. "All religions lead to the same God through different paths" according to the Indian divine and mystic Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa who practiced all religions. No religion can claim to know the absolute truth. The belief of knowing the absolute truth has been the starting point of all religious violence that has been witnessed through the ages, even to the present day. Thinking of one religion's as superior to others and holding prejudices towards other religions has led to riots and religious holocausts. The false notion of thinking of the other religions as antagonistic to others has been the root of religious fundamentalism. Making generalizations about people from a specific religion as evil or moral or superior is a folly. Every religion has its share of adherents who not only fall into extreme shades of black and white but can also be classified within intermediary shades of grey. Devouts and fanatics are in every religion though most people fall in between these two categories. In today's world the stakes are too high for religious bigotry and belligerence. In a world armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons, religious chauvinism can lead to the decimation of all of humanity, no matter what religion they follow. Religious jingoism has to be struck at its roots before the monster devours the whole of humanity. It is also important to remember that religious riots and violence are often triggered by petty and avaricious politicians and leaders for their own vested interests while the gullible public fall prey to such predatory and vicious political marketing of hypocritical and immoral ideals. It is necessary to have a balanced view of religion and not look at other religions with a jaundiced view. |
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