The Belle of Amherst
The Belle of Amherst
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1976
Book Brief
102
Play • Fiction
Amherst, Massachusetts • 1880s
1976
Adult
17+ years
Super Short Summary
Based on the life of the nineteenth-century American poet Emily Dickinson, William Luce’s one-woman play The Belle of Amherst (1976) opened on April 28, 1976, on Broadway with actor Julie Harris portraying all of the play's fifteen characters. For her performance, Harris won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. The play depicts fifty-three-year-old Emily Dickinson reflecting on her life, poetry, family, and the misconceptions surrounding her reclusive lifestyle and mental state.
Contemplative
Emotional
Serene
Nostalgic
Reviews & Readership
210 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
William Luce's The Belle of Amherst, a one-woman play about Emily Dickinson, is celebrated for its poetic script and compelling portrayal of the reclusive poet. Many admire its faithful representation of Dickinson's life and works, but some critique the static nature of a solo performance. Overall, it offers an intimate and heartfelt exploration of the poet's world.
Who Should Read The Belle of Amherst?
The reader who would enjoy The Belle of Amherst by William Luce is typically an admirer of historical dramas, literary biopics, and poetic monologues. Fans of Wit by Margaret Edson or Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill, who appreciate deep character studies and emotional narratives, would find this play compelling and evocative.
210 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
102
Play • Fiction
Amherst, Massachusetts • 1880s
1976
Adult
17+ years
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