Book Review: The Crucible by Arthur Miller- Nov 2017
November felt like the proper time of year to read something this heavy, and I have no regrets. Though short (152 pages Kindle, 98 paperback) it is certainly not lacking in depth. It's a partly-fictionalized story of the Salem Witch Trials in the early 1690s, and a great conversation piece.
Let's get started, shall we?
This is not really a novel. It's a play, and written as such, but this (surprisingly) didn't take away from the pleasure of reading it. It is an easy 1 or 2 night read. Here's an overview.
1. The Religious and Witchcraft Elements
This whole story hinges on the questions: (1) Is this trial about witchcraft or revenge? (2) Just how far should religion be allowed to permeate into our government?
A town is turned upside down when a group of girls get involved in something they shouldn't and then decide to pass the blame on everyone else, resulting in a bunch of folks dying for no good reason. There was only one witchcraft ritual in the play that was truly "witchcraft", but there were many cases of crying wolf. The law is the church, and the church is corrupt. Though some were full of good intent, those that realized the problem with playing God caught on a bit too late, and the damage was already done--and catastrophic! The way the religious bigwigs took it upon themselves to torture false testimonies out of innocents just to save face, and felt more pained over their own ruined image should they be found out to be punishing the falsely accused, highlighted just how fine the line is between church and state. God doesn't fail man, but man fails man when playing God. It's too big a role for any judge or jury to fill.
2. The Language
It isn't written with such dated language that I couldn't understand. The court sessions were full of easy enough jargon to follow, and the people spoke in ways that expressed plenty of emotion while remaining historically accurate. The only issue I found with the language was there were uses of words that are now considered relatively strong profanity, though at the time I don't believe it to have been considered cursing--just extremely insulting. I was able to power through it with that knowledge, but had it been a modern book with words used in the present-day context, I would not have enjoyed it (or likely finished it, honestly). But in context and considering the era, I found it colorful and emotional, and enjoyed the way the author expressed dialogue.
3. The Affair
I severely dislike people who are out for someone else's spouse, obviously unable to snag their own. I also have no remorse for a spouse who cheats, regardless of the reason. I found myself wanting to strangle two particular characters, and hug the injured spouse. The results of the affair extend through the length of the play and I found myself actually hoping for restoration for the couple. I won't say how this concludes, but it hit me in the feels. And in this case, redemption of your own self-worth only comes through doing the right thing even when it costs you everything.
4. The Movie
There aren't many books-turned-movies that I can say are on equal ground. This is a side-note, a *bonus* if you will, but I enjoyed the movie version of this play a LOT. At the time, it was available on VidAngel and I watched it with a filter, so I'm not sure what there may be in terms of nudity or language, but it was true to the script.
Content:
Language: Moderate cursing, though at that point in history it wasn't all considered profanity
Violence: Hangings, drinking animal blood, and some mildly violent acts
Sexuality: An adulterous affair, spoken of in some short detail, along with words like "whore"
I give this one a bewitching 5 stars for rolling a history lesson and a dramatic love triangle into one short book.
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