29 pages • 58 minutes read
Everybody
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Book Brief
59
Play • Fiction
2018
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a modern retelling of the medieval morality play Everyman, where God orders Death to bring a character named Everybody through the process of dying. Everybody seeks companionship for this journey, encountering personifications of concepts like Friendship, Family, and Stuff, who all refuse to accompany them. Eventually, Love agrees to go, but only after transforming Everybody, and only Evil joins them at the end.
Mysterious
Contemplative
Emotional
Fantastical
Inspirational
Reviews & Readership
356 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins revives the medieval morality play with contemporary relevance and inventive theatricality. Critics commend its humor, diverse casting, and philosophical depth. Some find its structure disjointed and pacing uneven, but its thought-provoking exploration of mortality and identity earns overall praise for an engaging, modern adaptation.
Who Should Read Everybody?
Readers who appreciate thought-provoking, modern adaptations of classic texts like T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral or Beckett's Waiting for Godot will enjoy Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Everybody. This allegorical play, inspired by the 15th-century morality play Everyman, combines existential questions with humor and contemporary relevance.
356 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
59
Play • Fiction
2018
Adult
18+ years
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