Cornelius

(Paperback)

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Description

"So all the time, while you were pretending to work, you've been having the most astonishing adventures in that corner"

A forgotten masterpiece from one of Britains greatest dramatists, J.B. Priestley. As bankruptcy looms, the ever optimistic Jim Cornelius, partner at import firm Briggs and Murrison, is fighting to keep his creditors happy and his spirits up. Tensions rise with the arrival of Judy, the beautiful, young typist who shows Cornelius the life he could have led... Written for Ralph Richardson in 1935, Priestley observes the politics and tensions of daily office life with searing wit and humanity in this hilarious and heart-breaking story of friendship, unrequited love and business.

Reviews

"'[An] attractively strange and surprising 1935 play' - Whats on Stage 'a high quality, polished exploration of an era that is sometimes peculiarly familiar and at other times entertainingly unexpected.' - The Stage 'engaging and well-judged - an intriguing period piece that speaks to our times in its tragicomic depiction of the anxieties, humour, despair and obstinate hopes of an age of recession.' - Independent 'Strikes a resounding contemporary chord' - Metro 'On the one hand "Cornelius" is a warm, entertainingly old-fashioned, well-made drama - At the same time it coolly portrays the casualties of an economic system spinning off its axis.' New York Times"

Author Bio

J.B. Priestley: Born in Bradford, he was educated there and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. His reputation as a dramatist was established by Dangerous Corner, Time and the Conways & other plays on space-time themes, as well as popular comedies such as Laburnum Grove & his psychological mystery, An Inspector Calls. Best known as a writer of novels, Priestley was also master of the essay form. He was an astute, original and controversial commentator on contemporary society.