47 pages • 1 hour read
Luigi Pirandello, Transl. Edward StorerSix Characters in Search of an Author
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1921A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello and translated by Edward Storer, an acting troupe rehearsing a Pirandello play is interrupted by six characters—a family—who claim to be abandoned by their author and demand their story be completed. The Manager agrees to stage their incomplete narrative, leading to a chaotic blend of fiction and reality as the characters' painful truths unfold. The play contains discussions of a coerced sexual relationship, child death, and suicide.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, translated by Edward Storer, is praised for its innovative narrative that blends reality and fiction, challenging traditional theatrical forms. Critics note its intellectual depth but warn it may be dense and confusing for some readers. Storer's translation captures the essence, though some nuances may be lost.
Who Should Read Six Characters in Search of an Author?
Readers who enjoy introspective and meta-theatrical works like Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author would appreciate its exploration of reality and fiction. Comparable to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard and Luigi Pirandello's own Henry IV, this play appeals to fans of existential themes and innovative narrative structures.