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Sam Shepard
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Sam Shepard : Seven Plays (Buried Child, Curse of the Starving Class, The Tooth of Crime, La Turista, Tongues, Savage Love, True West) Paperback – May 1, 1984

by Sam Shepard (Author), Richard Gilman (Introduction)
See all formats and editions
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Brilliant, prolific, uniquely American, Pulitzer prizewinning playwright Sam Separd is a major voice in contemporary theatre. And here are seven of his very best.

"One of the most original, prolific and gifted dramatists at work today."—The New Yorker

"The greatest American playwright of his generation...the most inventive in language and revolutionary in craft, [he] is the writer whose work most accurately maps the interior and exterior landscapes of his society."—New York Magazine

"If plays were put in time capsules, future generations would get a sharp-toothed profile of life in the U.S. in the past decade and a half from the works of Sam Shepard."—Time

"Sam Shepard is the most exciting presence in the movie world and one of the most gifted writers ever to work on the American stage."—Marsha Norman, Pulitzer prizewinning author of ‘Night, Mother.

"One of our best and most challenging playwrights...his plays are a form of exorcism: magical, sometimes surreal rituals that grapple with the demonic forces in the American landscape."—Newsweek

"His plays are stunning in thier originality, defiant and inscrutable."—Esquire

"Sam Shepard is phenomenal..the best practicing American playwright."—The New Republic
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  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Dial Press Trade Paperback
  4. Publication date
    May 1, 1984
  5. Dimensions
    5.2 x 0.92 x 8.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0553346113
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0553346114
  8. See all details
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Sam Shepard : Seven Plays (Buried Child, Curse of the Starving Class, The Tooth of Crime, La Turista, Tongues, Savage Love, T
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Fool for Love and Other Plays
Fool for Love and Other Plays
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Fifteen One-Act Plays: An expanded edition of the collection The Unseen Hand and Other Plays (Vintage Contemporaries)
Fifteen One-Act Plays: An expanded edition of the collection The Unseen Hand and Other Plays (Vintage Contemporaries)
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sam Shepard is the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of more than forty-five plays. He was a finalist for the W. H. Smith Literary Award for his story collection Great Dream of Heaven, and he has also written the story collection Cruising Paradise, two collections of prose pieces, Motel Chronicles and Hawk Moon, and Rolling Thunder Logbook, a diary of Bob Dylan's 1975 Rolling Thunder Review tour. As an actor he has appeared in more than thirty films, and he received an Oscar nomination in 1984 for his performance in The Right Stuff. His screenplay for Paris, Texas won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, and he wrote and directed the film Far North in 1988. Shepard's plays, eleven of which have won Obie Awards, include Buried Child, The Late Henry Moss, Simpatico, Curse of the Starving Class, True West, Fool for Love, and A Lie of the Mind, which won a New York Drama Desk Award. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Shepard received the Gold Medal for Drama from the Academy in 1992, and in 1994 he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dial Press Trade Paperback; Reissue edition (May 1, 1984)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553346113
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553346114
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.92 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Sam Shepard

Sam Shepard

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Sam Shepard was born in 1943 in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He moved to New York from California just as the off-Broadway theatre scene was emerging. He has written more than forty plays, of which elev en have won 'Obie' awards, besides collections of stories, prose writing and screenplays. His plays include Buried Child, The Late Henry Moss, Simpatico, Curse of the Starving Class, True West, Fool for Love, A Lie of the Mind, and States of Shock. His screenplay for Paris, Texas won the Golden Pa lm Award at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival and he directed his own screenplay, Far North, in 1988. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Shepard received the Gold Medal for Drama from the Academy in 1992, and in 1994 he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
231 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book compelling and brilliant. They also describe the writing style as great and interesting. Opinions are mixed on the emotional resonance, with some finding it deeply moving and others saying it's confusing.

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Writing qualityWriting styleReadabilityEmotional resonance
14 customers mention "Writing quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book brilliant, saying it's the finest collection of his best work. They also say the author is incredible at everything he did and one of the most brilliant playwrights they've encountered.

"This collection features his finest and most mature work (Buried Child, Curse, True West) plus the best of his earlier plays..." Read more

"The Play “Burried Child” was incredible! I have been a longtime fan of Sam Shepard’s and so have my Children, and Grandchildren!..." Read more

"...choosing "Curse of the Starving Class," which has some fascinating and memorable characters. It is a difficult play, but the group liked it...." Read more

"so i've only read true west, and i read it to perform. it's a wonderful play -- funny, crazy, but ultimately, deeply moving...." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing style"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style of the book great. They also mention that the book is written by the greatest playwrights, writers, actors, and interesting men.

"...two I have read, Buried Child and Curse of the Starving Class, were well written and kept me enthralled as I devoured the stories flipping the pages..." Read more

"Not at all what I expected but Mr. Shepard is a profound playwriter who makes the reader really have to engage when reading his plays in order not..." Read more

"One of the greatest playwrights, writers,actors and interesting men of the past century." Read more

"Shepard is a well-respected playwright, but his plays tend to deal with unsympathetic characters. The plots are not riveting...." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book compelling and a must read.

"...Child and Curse of the Starving Class, were well written and kept me enthralled as I devoured the stories flipping the pages faster and faster to..." Read more

"Fun to read so me of his other plays - got it for Buried Child as I had just seen the play" Read more

"...True-to-life, real, inspired, in a class of his own. Compelling reading and a must." Read more

6 customers mention "Emotional resonance"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the emotional resonance of the book. Some find it deeply moving and inspiring, while others say it's confusing and contains subliminal inappropriate messages.

"...collaboration with Joseph Chaiken, are wonderful, poetic meditations of existence and identity...." Read more

"...It is a difficult play, but the group liked it. Sam Shepard is a great playwright." Read more

"...the two brothers are really well drawn and inspiring to try to represent on stage...." Read more

"...The plots are not riveting. The settings are not particularly of interest to me. I would put him on par with David Mamet." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Ron E. Goulet
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good product
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
Book arrived on time and in very good condition, as advertised.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The best and most essential Shepard collection
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2010
Verified Purchase
This collection features his finest and most mature work (Buried Child, Curse, True West) plus the best of his earlier plays (La Turista, The Tooth of Crime). They all showcase his great humor and startling use of language and imagery. Th more mature works deal, unflinchingly with american families. Tongues and Savage Love, which he did in collaboration with Joseph Chaiken, are wonderful, poetic meditations of existence and identity. If you are interested in Shepard as a playwright this is the finest collection of his best work. After this, I recommend seeking out the plays Fool for Love and A Lie of the Mind, for more of his "mature" work and then also Angel City as another prime example of the imaginative flights he took with his earlier work. In case you don't already know, Shepard is one of the most important American playwrights. Period.
7 people found this helpful
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iSklcndykid
5.0 out of 5 stars Gothic Plays at their best
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2013
Verified Purchase
I've yet to read all the stories here but the two I have read, Buried Child and Curse of the Starving Class, were well written and kept me enthralled as I devoured the stories flipping the pages faster and faster to find out what dark secrets and horrible truths were waiting to be revealed. The man has a gift for writing and keeping some themes that are a common thread throughout his stories, he may have daddy issues and be traumatized by his drunken and dysfunctional family but it makes for amazing literature. I would recommend this to those that love literature and those that enjoy a good Gothic experience.
4 people found this helpful
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KF
4.0 out of 5 stars Shepard I never knew about and enjoyed learning about his additional talents
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
Not at all what I expected but Mr. Shepard is a profound playwriter who makes the reader really have to engage when reading his plays in order not to miss out on all the nuances contained in each separate story. It is also a side of Mr. Shepard I never knew about and enjoyed learning about his additional talents.
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Allen P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Although I had heard of the great playwright Sam Shepard for years
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2017
Verified Purchase
Although I had heard of the great playwright Sam Shepard for years, I never saw or read any of his plays. When he died a month or two ago, I read an article on his brilliance and was moved to read this book of seven of his plays. I have just finished reading "Buried Child," for which he won the Pulitzer Prize. It greatly surpasses any other play I have seen or read. I can hardly wait to read the remaining six plays. Do your mind a favor and get this book. I promise you won't regret it.
6 people found this helpful
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Patricia C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Sam Shepard was so multi-talented! He was incredible at Everything he did!
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
The Play “Burried Child” was incredible! I have been a longtime fan of Sam Shepard’s and so have my Children, and Grandchildren! His Movies are Great; his Books are Great, and so is his Poetry!
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Marv Heller
5.0 out of 5 stars It was a fantastic deal!
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2019
Verified Purchase
While I only required the play True West for the course, I was able to get six additional Sam Shepard works at no additional cost. Now I look forward to binge reading Shepard.
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Nancy D. Griffeth
5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous plays
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2008
Verified Purchase
I bought this book for a play reading group. I read a number of the plays, and ended up choosing "Curse of the Starving Class," which has some fascinating and memorable characters. It is a difficult play, but the group liked it. Sam Shepard is a great playwright.
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Top reviews from other countries

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María Isabel Pérez Montfort
5.0 out of 5 stars TEATRO NORTEAMERICANO SIGLO XX
Reviewed in Mexico on April 22, 2024
Verified Purchase
Obras de teatro, excelente dramaturgia de crítica social norteamericana de fin del siglo XX. Cruda, dura.
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Maurizio ZUMBO
5.0 out of 5 stars reception du livre.
Reviewed in France on July 6, 2020
Verified Purchase
Bien reçu le livre le 3 juillet, très rapide, j'en suis très content!
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Sanjib Kumar Jena
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!!!!
Reviewed in India on June 7, 2020
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It's an amazing book!!!!!
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Cindy Spowart
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have On Your Bookshelf
Reviewed in Canada on October 1, 2017
Verified Purchase
Sad to say, it took Mr. Shepard's death for me to actually buy this book. One can definitely tell why he is considered one of America's best playwrights and certainly see why he won a Pulitzer Prize for Buried Child. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading plays, and especially great ones.
2 people found this helpful
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J A Miles
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
Good stuff...if weird.....
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