An Inspector Calls - J. B. Priestley > Reviews > * A Visit From An Inspector....*

Author's product rating:   

Would you read it again?	Absolutely
Story	Outstanding
Characters	Outstanding
Readability	Very easy

Advantages:	Entertaining , Enjoyable , Good Characters
Disadvantages:	Cliffhanger At End

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

When my English teacher told us that we would be studying a play as part of my GCSE English course last year , I prayed that it wouldn't be something too difficult like Shakespeare ; something some of my friends had already begun studying in a different class. So when my teacher passed copies of this book around the class , I was hoping it would be something I would enjoy , as I tend to do really well in things I enjoy , however it is a completely different story if I don't enjoy something. Anyway …back to my story….
So….the teacher was handing round copies of this book. I grabbed my copy wondering what to expect. The cover hard….similar to that of the 'ladybird fairytail' books I used to have when I was little. The book is black and spooky , with an image of what appears to be a of a young girl who looks afraid. There are hands by her face although it is unclear whether they are her hands or someone else's hands. The cover has a spooky feel to it. I noticed that this book was written by a man I had never heard of before. His name , J.B Priestley.

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Before moving on I will tell you a bit about J.B.Priestley.

Priestley was born on 13th September 1894 in Bradford. His father was a teacher , while his mother died when he was young. He attended grammar school and served in the first world war. Priestley's other works include ; Found,Lost , Found and London End. He died in 1984 aged 89 in Warwickshire.

An Inspector Calls is a play written between 1944 and 1945. Subjects included in the play include relationships , wealth , class and morality.

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Our teacher told us , that we would begin work on this book straight away. I opened the book and was greeted by a list of stage settings. Usually , I would have skipped this part automatically , however our teacher read it out aloud to us. Once she'd finished reading the stage settings , she told us to turn the page , and from there we would begin studying the play. She chose members of the class to play a character and off we went into the world of 'An Inspector Calls'.

*Characters *
The play is based on the Birling family ; a higher class family.

* Arthur Birling *
Arthur Birling is the head man of the Birling family. He is husband to Sybil and father to Sheila and Eric. He owns a well known factory business. He is a selfish man , who considers his own needs before others'.

* Sybil Birling *
Sybil is a stuck up old woman , who looks down on others. She considers herself to be better than everyone else. Sybil is mother to Sheila and Eric , although they are grown up she still refers to them and treats them as children. Sybil is one of the 'head women' of a women's charity , which involves helping less fortunate women.

* Eric Birling *
Eric is probably the let-down of the family. Being a high status family , he lets them down by getting drunk on a regular basis and visiting prostitutes ; something his mother , although she is aware of his drinking problem , turns a blind eye to it .

* Sheila Birling *
Sheila is a smart young lady and very spoilt. She is pleased with her life and excited about her future. She is engaged to marry Gerald Croft (more about him later!). She always gets what she wants.

* Gerald Croft *
Gerald Croft is Sheila's fiancé. His father also owns a successful business , which means Arthur Birling and Gerald's father are business rivals.

* Inspector Goole *
Inspector Goole is the character that tries to make the Birling family change their ways. (More on that later). He is a spooky-ish man! It is unclear if he is an actual man , a ghost , ….although he is some kind of symbol. I think it is interesting how his surname is Goole , which is similar to that of a ghoul , which may mean that he is some kind of ghost.

* Eva Smith *
Although Eva is a main character in the play , she does not make an appearance ; not one. The play is based on an event which happened to here.

* The Story *
An Inspector Calls is set in the Birling Family's dining room. They are celebrating the fact that Gerald and their daughter Sheila are engaged. They have finished their meal , and as the ladies leave the men, there is a knock on the door ; a man who claims to be an inspector. He tells the Birling family that a young woman has died , and is there to question the Birling family. Although each member denies not having anything to do with it , Goole continues to question them , using clever ways , to get them to admit to having anything to do with this girl. Will Inspector Goole change how the Birling family see others or will they remain as they are ? Read Inspector Goole to find out.

I enjoyed this play very much! I think this is the reason I did so well in my GCSE English exam. I like how one event affected the whole family in a way that they did not think they were responsible. I liked the characters for what they represented , even if they were horrible people. I liked how Goole was clever and mysterious , however one thing that did annoy me about the play , when I was studying it , and still when I'm writing this review is the fact that I don't know and will probably never find out what exactly Inspector Goole is. I also don't like how the play ends with a cliffhanger as I like to know what exactly happens.

I would definitely recommend this book!

Thanks For Reading J
July 29th 2008
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