Described by his contemporaries as a `master of impeccable prose`, `the great exploder of complacency` and a `showman of ideas`, George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) is today regarded as the most important British comic dramatist since Congreve. `Heartbreak House`, however, is one of Shaw`s more somber plays. An allegory that examines apathy, confusion and lack of purpose as causes of major world problems, the drama features larger-than-life characters who represent evils of the modern world. Initially pessimistic, the play nevertheless ends on an optimistic note.
Written in 1913 and first produced in 1923, `Heartbreak House`, with its portrayal of a bored and frustrated upper-middle class, is a prime example of Shaw`s unconventional and provocative literary style.