An Inspector Calls - J. B. Priestley

Available from	£5.54	Compare 3 prices
User rating		23 Reviews

	Offers for An Inspector Calls - J. B. Priestley

User Reviews

for An Inspector Calls - J. B. Priestley

Rating Summary based on 23 reviews

		11

		9

		2

		0

		1

Detailed rating

Characters
How does it compare to similar works?
How does it compare to works by the same author?
Readability
Story

	4.2

	3.8

	3.7

	4.1

	4.1

Review attribute filters

Page 1 of 3 | 1 to 10 out of 23 Review(s)

Show most helpful reviews first
Newest first

34 of 34 Ciao users found the following review helpful

1st2thebar

Member since 11/05/2005

Reviews written: 462

Our frayed Humanity 18/11/2012

User recommends the product

Advantages Deals with modern political matters from the last century - clever narrative.
Disadvantages Not quite a Wilde, then again not a bad thing.

(This Review Contains No Spoilers!) Characters: Arthur Birling, owner of a successful mill, and politician – head of the house. Sybil Birling, elderly pompous lady, who spends her time meddling about with a Women’s Charity – Mother to Sheila and Eric Birling. Eric Birling, the black sheep of the family – his best friend is the bottle, which in-turn makes him squiffy and so he seeks out services of hard-up prostitutes, who’re eager to grab his wad. Sheila Birling, graced with feminine charm and an elfin feature – she uses both attributes simultaneously. A notable intelligence and goes for what ... more
51 of 51 Ciao users found the following review helpful

xdonzx

Member since 25/05/2007

Reviews written: 1050

* A Visit From An Inspector....* 29/07/2008

User recommends the product

Advantages Entertaining , Enjoyable , Good Characters
Disadvantages Cliffhanger At End

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 ... more
8 of 8 Ciao users found the following review helpful

TomMounsey

An Inspector Calls 13/10/2008

User recommends the product

Advantages An incredible insight into social inequality
Disadvantages Harshly - the play gets predictable

An Inspector Calls is a play written by J.B. Priestley in 1945, based before World War I, in 1912. The play is about a family, the majority of whom are aristocrats who live in a capitalist atmosphere; full of lies, pride and pure selfishness. Throughout the play a mystery inspector gradually reveals the characters' true identity, looking at how they all contributed to the suicide of Eva Smith. As the play progresses you begin to see that the characters start to understand their personalities, 'wrong-doings' and problems in a clearer light and each of them, despite differing degrees of ... more
2 of 2 Ciao users found the following review helpful

ahotomega1

surprising 24/09/2010

User recommends the product

Advantages easy to read; interesting themes
Disadvantages short

Despite the fact that the play is so short, many themes are incorporated and interweaved into it. An example of the many themes present in the play is love, and love is viewed differently by each character in the play. For example Mr Birling links love to financial success, and I believe that the engagement he is celebrating is based on love linked to financial and social success. The Inspector on the other hand, represents love throughout the play, yet this becomes more evident at the end when he gives a sermon about how we should love one another. This theme is extended effectively by the ... more
17 of 17 Ciao users found the following review helpful

djwill

Priestly's political views in an Inspector Calls 12/02/2006

User recommends the product

Advantages Exciting, ironic and funny - A good read
Disadvantages Nothing really!

HOW DOES PRIESTLEY USE DRAMATIC DEVICES TO CONVEY HIS POLITICAL VIEWS IN AN INSPECTOR CALLS? The play An Inspector Calls conveys a strong political message. It promotes the idea of socialism, as a society in which community and responsibility are central. This is strongly contrasted with the idea of capitalism, in which 'every man is an island' and has to work for himself, with no second thought for other people. The playwright, J.B.Priestley, uses many dramatic devices, such as dramatic irony and tension in order to effectively convey this political message throughout the play. He uses them ... more
16 of 16 Ciao users found the following review helpful

stargazer14

the unexpected Inspector calls.. 11/09/2004

User recommends the product

Advantages a great play to watch and read with many twists in the story line.
Disadvantages maybe a bit slow at times.. but all will be revealed, be patient!!

SHORT PLOT SUMMARY: Mr and Mrs. Birling are a wealthy family celebrating the engagement of their daughter Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft, but all excitement is disrupted when an Inspector has a long line of questions to ask them, about the death of Eva Smith… In troduction: After re-reading the play I found that there were a number of remarks referring to the First World War. Even though the play was written in 1945 after the Second World War. Priestley’s main intentions were to show the audience that Social status says nothing about some ones quality of life. Priestley also creates the idea ... more
37 of 39 Ciao users found the following review helpful

geodev4

An Italian Inspector Calls and says Ciao 15/01/2005

User recommends the product

Advantages Good Story. clever
Disadvantages we're left with a cliff hanger

I must now firstly apologise for the awful title, it was a bad joke! Well this has got to be one of my favourite stories I’ve read during my time at school so far. The basic plot The Birling family are spending a happy evening celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft Yet, just when everything seems to be going so well, they receive a surprise visit from an Inspector Goole who is investigating the suicide of a young girl called Eva Smith. The inspector links each member of the family to her and how possible each of them caused her to commit suicide. J.B Priestly He was born ... more
19 of 19 Ciao users found the following review helpful

beckymilar_4

ARTHUR BIRLING THE MAIN CHARACTER 01/12/2004

User doesn't recommend the product

Advantages iT HELPED ME PASS STANDARD GRADE ENGLISH
Disadvantages BIT BORING AT TIMES

‘An Inspector Calls’ is a play in which the characters and readers are expected to feel shock, guilt and regret. Few characters do but they all change in some way or another. Some make it more obvious than others. Many of the Birling family caused interest and suspicion throughout the play; however, the character that interested me most was Mr Arthur Birling. His strong opinions, his selfishness and his lack of morals captivated me. By the end of act one J.B Priestly has painted a picture of a snobbish, arrogant man who only wants what is best for himself. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the ... more
26 of 26 Ciao users found the following review helpful

Martinscholes

An Inspector Calls 27/08/2004

User recommends the product

Advantages A well-written play, interesting concept
Disadvantages mIght carry an unintended message?

An Inspector Calls is set several years before the start of World War 1, in 1912. It is set in the fictional North Midlands industrial city of Brumley. It is thought that this is a parody of Brumagem, an older name for Birmingham. The Birling family is holding a small intimate dinner party to celebrate the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft. The party was going well until a police inspector calls. Inspector Goole tells them that a girl (Eva Smith) has died on the way to the local infirmary, after drinking disinfectant. Her death was suicide. And very horrible and painful, as he ... more
25 of 26 Ciao users found the following review helpful

richbitch91

An Inspector Calls 16/02/2006

User recommends the product

Advantages has a moral side
Disadvantages quite old fashoined vocab at times

J.B. Priestley wrote the play "An Inspector Calls" in 1945 and set it in 1912. These dates are both relevant because he wrote his play in a world emerging from the Second World War, in a time when people were getting nostalgic about pre-world war one. Priestley uses his play to try and show people that community in 1912 was non-existent and that the world needs to change rather than return to the egotistical society that existed in pre war England. In his play Priestley's message that he was trying to get across to the audience, was that we could not go on being self obsessed and that we had ... more