The Elephant Man

by Bernard Pomerance

Overview

“An enthralling and luminous play” about the nineteenth-century man whose physical deformity doomed him to the life of an outcast: “haunting [and] splendid” (The New York Times).
 
The Elephant Man is based on the life of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century. A horribly deformed young man, a freak attraction in traveling side shows, is found abandoned and helpless and is admitted for observation to Whitechapel, a prestigious London hospital.
 
Under the care of a famous young doctor who educates him and introduces him to London society, Merrick changes from a sensational object of pity to the urbane and witty favorite of the aristocracy and literati. But his belief that he can become a man like any other is a dream never to be realized.
 
After premiering in London, The Elephant Man went on to Broadway where it won the Tony for Best Play in 1979. It was later revived in a Broadway production starring Bradley Cooper.
 
“TheElephant Man is a moving drama. Lofted on poetic wings, it nests on the human heart.” —Time Magazine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802196019
Publisher:	Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
Publication date:	02/26/2020
Series:	Books That Changed the World
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	71
Sales rank:	422,981
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

A Seattle7Writers project for literacy, this novel was written by Kathleen Alcalá, Matthew Amster-Burton, Kit Bakke, Erica Bauermeister, Sean Beaudoin, Dave Boling, Deb Caletti, Carol Cassella, William Dietrich, Robert Dugoni, Kevin Emerson, Karen Finneyfrock, Clyde Ford, Jamie Ford, Elizabeth George, Mary Guterson, Maria Dahvana Headley, Teri Hein, Stephanie Kallos, Erik Larson, David Lasky, Stacey Levine, Frances McCue, Jarret Middleton, Peter Mountford, Kevin O'Brien, Julia Quinn, Nancy Rawles, Suzanne Selfors, Jennie Shortridge, Ed Skoog, Garth Stein, Greg Stump, Indu Sundaresan, Craig Welch and Susan Wiggs. Foreword by Nancy Pearl. Introduction by Garth Stein.

Editorial Reviews

Ravishing theatre. Bernard Pomerance's writing is beautifully realized in all respects. -- NY Daily News

Douglas Watt

An enthralling and luminous play. Haunting, splendid... -- New York Times

Richard Eder

The Elephant Man is a moving drama. Lofted on poetic wings, it nests in the human heart. -- Time Magazine

T. E. Kalem

The Elephant Man is great. A giant of a play. Wonderful, moving and purely theatrical. -- New York Post

Clive Barnes