Fuente Ovejuna/Lost in a Mirror (Oberon Classics)

These two plays are a product of their time, and their 17th century origin shows in both style and content. The biggest problem is the tendency to be unrhymed for a period of time, then suddenly lapse into rhyme without, dare I say, rhyme or reason, The problem probably stems from a too-literal translation, which has the advantage of giving us the sense of the play as the playwright intended, but loses the poetry when moved into a different language. The plays themselves are a bit talky, with the long exposition that was the style of the time, but they are interesting as more than just historical pieces. The plots have enough action and the characters are well drawn enough that it is possible to follow the play in much the way as we do show more a modern work. The stories are familiar enough stories of honor, love, and dishonor, with quite a bit of murder thrown in for those who want blood in their entertainment. The women are presented sympathetically, without the misogyny that mars so many plays of this period. show less

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