Plot Summary

Love! Valour! Compassion!

Terrence McNally
Guide cover placeholder

Love! Valour! Compassion!

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1994

Book Brief

Terrence McNally

Love! Valour! Compassion!

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1994
Book Details
Pages

104

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

Dutchess County, New York • 1990s

Publication Year

1994

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Love! Valour! Compassion! by Terrence McNally follows eight gay men spending Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day weekends at the lakeside home of aging choreographer Gregory Mitchell, navigating relationships, infidelity, illness, and friendships. Through their interactions, personal challenges around love, identity, and mortality are explored in poignant and often humorous ways. The play includes themes of infidelity, illness, loss, and grief.

Emotional

Bittersweet

Heartwarming

Melancholic

Contemplative

Reviews & Readership

4.2

555 ratings

73%

Loved it

21%

Mixed feelings

7%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Love! Valour! Compassion! by Terrence McNally garners praise for its lyrical dialogue, emotional depth, and nuanced portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes, while some critics note its occasional reliance on stereotypes. The play's ensemble cast and exploration of complex relationships resonate deeply, though pacing issues somewhat detract from the overall impact.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Love! Valour! Compassion!?

Readers who appreciate Love! Valour! Compassion! by Terrence McNally are often fans of character-driven narratives that explore complex human emotions and relationships. They might also enjoy works like Angels in America by Tony Kushner or The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer, which similarly tackle themes of love, community, and the AIDS crisis.

4.2

555 ratings

73%

Loved it

21%

Mixed feelings

7%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

104

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

Dutchess County, New York • 1990s

Publication Year

1994

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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