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by Karel Capek (Author), Cathy Porter (Translator), Peter Majer (Translator)
"There was no writer like him. . . prophetic assurance mixed with surrealistic humour and hard-edged social satire: a unique combination" (Arthur Miller)
This volume brings together fresh new translations of four of his most popular plays, more than ever relevant today. In R. U. R., the Robot - an idea Çapek was the first to invent - gradually takes over all aspects of human existence except procreation; The Insect Play is a satirical fable in which beetles, butterflies and ants give dramatic form to different philosophies of life; The Makropulos Case is a fantasy about human mortality, finally celebrating the average lifespan; The White Plague is a savage and anguished satire against fascist dictatorship and the virus of inhumanity.
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This volume brings together fresh new translations of four of Capek's most popular plays, relevant today more than ever. In R.U.R., the Robot -- an idea Capek was first to invent -- gradually takes over all aspects of human existence except procreation. The Insect Play is a satirical fable in which beetles, butterflies and ants give dramatic form to different philosophies of life. The Makropulos Case is a fantasy about human mortality, finally celebrating the average life span. The White Plague is a savage and anguished satire against fascist dictatorship and the virus of inhumanity.
