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Sweet Bird of Youth and Other Plays
Sweet Bird of Youth and Other Plays
Dec 4, 2025 5:39 AM

Author:Tennessee Williams

Sweet Bird of Youth and Other Plays

Loneliness, sexual tension and the need for human kindness pervade these three plays by Tennessee Williams, as their characters rage against personal demons and the modern world. In 'Sweet Bird of Youth', a drifter, Chance Wayne, returns to his home town with an ageing movie actress in search of the girl he loved in his youth, but with terrible, violent results. 'Period of Adjustment' tells the story of two young newlyweds who visit the husband's old army friend on Christmas Eve after unsuccessfully consummating their marriage, and unleash forbidden passion, while in 'The Night of the Iguana' a diverse group of people, including a disturbed ex-minister and a troubled spinster, are thrown together in an isolated Mexican hotel for one eventful night.

Reviews

A searing novel

—— Catherine Taylor , Guardian

In a humorous and beguiling deadpan, Boianjiu conveys the fleeting, vanishing experience of hovering between adolescence and adulthood, at the same time as providing a rare portrait of young Israelis being minced through military service

—— Robert Collins , Sunday Times

A memorably bold novel... Somewhere between the sardonic humour of Etgar Keret and the epic storytelling of David Grossman, Boianjiu has created a brave, beautiful, political literature that is entirely her own

—— Catherine Taylor , Sunday Telegraph

This unflinching debut novel depicts with depth and acuity the disorientating effects of fear on young minds... The girls are often lost for words, but the author successfully finds a voice to express the dehumanising horror of warfare in this fragmented plot held together with a passionate, poetic eloquence

—— Anita Sethi , Observer

[Boianjiu’s] voice is distinct. It’s confident, raw, amusing — a lot like her women

—— New York Times

Remarkable…The People of Forever Are Not Afraid is a fierce and beautiful portrait of the damage done by war

—— The Washington Post

More full of life than any young writer I’ve come across in a long time.

—— Nicole Krauss, author of THE HISTORY OF LOVE

Reads like it was written in bullets, tear gas, road flares and love. I demand another book from her, immediately.

—— Alexander Chee, author of EDINBURGH

The focus of Boianjiu’s book isn’t those horrible events: it is the tension that exists just outside the line of fire, the moment before a crisis erupts. Boianjiu’s best writing happens as the book progresses, when the teens let their minds wander into what they have experienced, and imagine an apocalyptic future for their country

—— Sheera Frenkel , The Times

Unique and piercing... Reading it feels like having your heart sawn in two.

—— Etgar Keret, author of SUDDENLY, A KNOCK ON THE DOOR

In this Bildungsroman, life in the army initiates a metamorphosis from girl to woman…Boianjiu’s depiction of…the psyches of these young women is fascinating… The prose [reads] alternately like a nightmare and a dream, but this feverish indecision is what gives it its power

—— Economist

The People of Forever Are Not Afraid is... carefully wrought, consciously structured, creatively imagined

—— The New Republic

With its blend of brutal hilarity and heart-stopping anguish, this is a brilliant debut novel

—— Boston Globe

Stunning…[a] beautifully rendered account of the absurdities and pathos inherent to everyday life in Israel

—— Los Angeles Review of Books

Boianjiu’s searing debut…draws from the author’s own experiences to render the absurdities of life and love on the precipice of violence

—— Vogue

In her riveting debut novel, 25-year-old Shani Boianjiu gives a rare insider glimpse at what it’s like to be a girl coming of age in the famously fierce Israeli Defense Forces

—— Marie Claire

A dark, riveting window into the mind-state of Israel's younger generation, The People of Forever Are Not Afraid marks the arrival of a brilliant writer

—— Wall Street Journal

Honest...
Shani Bioanjiu has given us a valuable addition to our understanding of the Israel/Palestine conflict

—— New Internationalist

Tigerman manages ... that elusive combination of intelligent, beautiful writing with a story that is imaginative, fast-paced and really good fun. There's plenty to make you think as well as plenty to make you laugh … Harkaway writes with such dexterity and delight … That balance of proper storytelling with literary complexity is, for me, what makes a book really special and Tigerman does this with aplomb - it's a joy to read.

—— We Love This Book

Tigerman is a brilliant and unique novel which deserves to be read again and again ... dazzling display of creativity.

—— Upcoming4.me

I was dazzled … Characterisation is as ever top notch … this is a marvel … everyone will appreciate the sheer grace and artistry of it.

—— Liz Loves Books

Tigerman is a truly engaging and original book; for all the nail-biting tension, humour, superheroic deeds and a brilliant twist there is also a deep and honest heart to it ... This is easily one of the best books I've read this year.

—— Hair Past A Freckle

With intelligent, witty writing you cannot help but warm to the unlikely and slightly hapless hero in Lester Ferris.

—— Starburst

A virtuoso piece of entertainment which hurtles satisfyingly towards its conclusion after delivering a startling, didn’t-see-that-coming sucker-punch of a twist.

—— A Life in Books

Funny, moving and thought-provoking

—— Big Issue in the North

The key to Harkaway’s writing is the incredibly textured depth and imaginative characterisation. It is one of those books whose character are so rich that by the climax, you feel like they’ve penetrated your reality and you want to keep them close, even after the book is over.

—— Nudge

Original and exciting, full of humanity and comedy, Tigerman by Nick Harkaway is a beautiful piece of work

—— Morning Star

Original, exciting, full of humanity and comedy, Tigerman by Nick Harkaway is a beautiful piece of work.

—— Morning Star
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