Manny's Reviews > Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
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ME: Good evening and welcome to part 3 of "Newt Gingrich meets Arthur Miller". As you may know, Mr Gingrich has recently been encouraging Americans to read Miller's works. Our third episode is devoted to Death of a Salesman, which--

LAWYER: Hold it right there.

ME: I'm sorry? Is there a problem?

LAWYER: Oh, go on and pretend you don't know what this is about. The "salesman" you're referring to is my client, President Donald Trump. "Death" is too obvious to be worth commenting on. Like so many liberals, you're openly inciting violence as an alternative to reasoned political discourse. We've seen it with Kathy Griffin, we've seen it with that disgusting production of Julius Caesar and now you--

ME: But I'm not.

LAWYER: You're not advocating violence against Donald Trump?

ME: No, not at all.

LAWYER: You fail to convince, Dr Rayner. I've read your pieces on Goodreads. Tell me, if you learned tomorrow that Trump had been shot, how would you react?

ME: Well, I must admit that my first reaction would be delighted surprise...

LAWYER: Ha! Out of your own mouth!

ME: ... but as soon as the initial buzz had worn off, I think I'd be rather disappointed.

LAWYER: Did I hear you say "disappointed"?

ME: Yes, absolutely.

LAWYER: This is absurd. May I remind you that you have posted nearly a hundred anti-Trump pieces over the last couple of years?

ME: I'm almost there. I just need five more.

LAWYER: You've made comments about his sexual assaults on women, his open contempt for basic democratic principles, his flirtation with white supremacist groups--

ME: All true.

LAWYER: You've mentioned his decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Accord, a policy which could cause incalculable damage to the Earth's fragile ecosystem and result in the deaths of billions of people. [He coughs] Allegedly. And you still don't want Trump dead? Dr Rayner, you're not being straightforward with us here. Of course you want him dead. Any sensible person would.

ME: You said it, I didn't.

LAWYER: I naturally meant, any sensible person with your misguided beliefs.

ME: Thank you for the clarification.

LAWYER: So you admit it?

ME: No, I don't. Much as I dislike Trump, I think he's more valuable to us alive.

LAWYER: You'll need to explain that.

ME: Well, Trump is such a vile, universally despised excuse for a human being that everything he touches is automatically discredited in the eyes of a good two-thirds of the world's population. Many right-wing politicians could do a better job of promoting those views. So in fact, I'd rather have him alive and destroying his own party from the inside.

LAWYER: This is absurd. How can you--

ME: Wait a minute. May I ask you a direct question. Do you, personally, like Donald Trump?

LAWYER: I resent this question. Needless to say, I have the highest respect for--

ME: I should add that one of my Goodreads friends goes to the same hairdresser as your wife.

LAWYER: I-- uh--

ME: So I know what you really think of him.

[Pause]

LAWYER: Okay, okay. He's a sack of shit. But he's paying me $1750 an hour.

ME: And if he died tomorrow, he wouldn't?

LAWYER: Uh, of course--

ME: So you're in just the same position. He's worth more to you alive. I rest my case.

[Pause]

LAWYER: You know, maybe we've got more in common than I thought. Let's go get ourselves a drink.

ME: And talk about Death of a Salesman. We kind of forgot what this review was about.

LAWYER: I always loved that play. I could watch the scene where Biff steals the fountain-pen a thousand times.

ME: Do you think the Freudian interpretation is too facile?

[Fade to black]
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Reading Progress

Finished Reading
December 20, 2008 – Shelved
June 20, 2017 – Shelved as: donalds-are-trumps

Comments Showing 1-42 of 42 (42 new)

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notgettingenough So, in this fractured world, where a common hatred is most likely to be the thing that unites us - that is so very clever!


message 2: by Fionnuala (new)

Fionnuala Fun, fun, fun! Another please!


Manny I'm running out of ideas... but I know Mr Gingrich would want me to continue, so I'll do my best.


message 4: by Jim (new)

Jim Don't forget about Snoop Dogg's contribution to the violence posse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjqfz...


A big downside to the donald's demise is that likely, all the trumpettes would build shrines, name cul-de-sacs after him, print t-shirts, and petition the pope to make him a saint... yep! I sed it. Saint trump.... f********ck!!!!


Manny The thought of Holy Martyred Trump sends cold shivers down my spine. Let's just wait until he has a heart attack while trying to put his hand up his granddaughter's skirt. Preferably in a bedroom at the Russian Embassy, in full view of the security camera.


Jacob Sebæk In this case, Manny, let´s hope reality surpasses fiction ;-)


message 7: by Ms. Smartarse (new)

Ms. Smartarse Haha... I don't normally follow Trump-related news (unless presented in a highly entertaining manner by a certain British comedian *cough*), but I love this. :P


Manny All I have done here is follow Mr Gingrich's instructions. I think he's better than people make out.


message 9: by WarpDrive (new)

WarpDrive Absolutely great stuff!

Just one thing I would like to highlight, regarding the disgraceful decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Accord. Even if that monumental idiot named Donald Trump has withdrawn from this accord, not all is lost. The overwhelming majority of all other countries on Earth are still committed to it, and even within the US many States, and a significant number of municipalities, have already formally pledged to ignore the rantings of the moron currently sitting in the White House, and to proceed independently: see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...
From this link: the 13 members of the Alliance as of June 7, 2017, made up 30.6% of the U.S. population and 35.9% of U.S. GDP as of 2016.
And there is still some hope that sooner or later they will impeach the idiot.


Manny Just my point, Fortunr! The mere fact that it's got Trump's fingerprints on it immediately encourages people to resist. I don't think we'd have seen this level of enthusiasm with a President Pence.


message 11: by WarpDrive (new)

WarpDrive Manny wrote: "Just my point, Fortunr! The mere fact that it's got Trump's fingerprints on it immediately encourages people to resist. I don't think we'd have seen this level of enthusiasm with a President Pence."

Very true, Manny. We have been lucky in that sense, you are right.


Manny I can't quite bring myself to say we've been lucky. Just that President Pence might end up being even worse.


message 13: by Jim (new)

Jim Manny wrote: "I can't quite bring myself to say we've been lucky. Just that President Pence might end up being even worse."

luckily, he is likely caught up in the transition hijinx and may be ousted with the rest of the poubelle....


message 14: by [deleted user] (last edited Jun 21, 2017 10:39AM) (new)

Fun, fun, fun. Yes. But in my estimation also right on the mark.

Let Trump, perhaps unknowingly, destroy the evil from within.

Kudos.


message 15: by Jim (new)

Jim And another celebrity uses the "A" word

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment...


message 16: by [deleted user] (new)

Please pardon my cynicism Jim; but at this point these things are a guaranty of publicity, though perhaps not insignificant.

Consider this "fantasy" scenario. Depp was pretty direct, I think. So, the Republicans who want to get rid of Trump before he ruins the party for a decade, arrange for an MK Ultra pro to do the job in conjunction with cooperation from what I've heard is a breachable Secret Service, and plant a gun on Depp, who is in the area. Depp is arrested and Jack Ruby comes out of retirement .....


message 17: by Jim (new)

Jim Who Dat wrote: "Please pardon my cynicism Jim; but at this point these things are a guaranty of publicity, though perhaps not insignificant.

Consider this "fantasy" scenario. Depp was pretty direct, I think. So, ..."


You should totally stop watching Infowars.........


message 18: by [deleted user] (new)

Jim said; "You should totally stop watching Infowars......... "

Truly LOL. I confess to having watched that years ago, but I guess it has a way of staying in one's system, like radiation's half life.

I take it that you don't consider this scenario plausible.


message 19: by Jim (last edited Jun 23, 2017 01:58PM) (new)

Jim Who Dat wrote: "Jim said; "You should totally stop watching Infowars......... "

Truly LOL. I confess to having watched that years ago, but I guess it has a way of staying in one's system, like radiation's half li..."


"Blood is a big expense" - Virgil Sollozzo

Luckily, trump is so completely corrupt they'll be able to use the law instead of CIA zombie

They're going to put alist of charges in front of him and suggest he resign. His lawyers will advise accordingly...


message 20: by Matt (new)

Matt There's a new (June 2017) book by Sam Bourne. It's called To Kill the President. I don't know if this is a thrillerized sequel of "Death of a salesman" or a self help book where they forgot the word "How" in the title. Think I'm going to find out.


Manny I don't know why everyone thinks it's about Trump. The President in Bourne's book is apparently some kind of sleazy lunatic, but Trump is a stable genius.


message 22: by Jim (new)

Jim Manny wrote: "I don't know why everyone thinks it's about Trump. The President in Bourne's book is apparently some kind of sleazy lunatic, but Trump is a stable genius."

for realz! people need to tune in to the fax... on Fox...


message 23: by [deleted user] (new)

Manny wrote: "I don't know why everyone thinks it's about Trump. The President in Bourne's book is apparently some kind of sleazy lunatic, but Trump is a stable genius."

It's likely the recognition of an early manifestation of the Trump Fixation Syndrome (TFS), other inserted words likely correct, which has not yet been officially allowed as a disease, syndrome, or acronym in the halls of official wisdometry.


message 24: by Kris (new) - added it

Kris Best review I have read all year!


Manny Thank you Kris! It came to me on a flight from Geneva to Ljubljana... we had a stopover in Vienna, and I had to take out my laptop and write it down there and then.


message 26: by Patrice (new)

Patrice Blanchard Is it a feeling or are you simply using every possible book to propagate your political opinions? This could sound like extremism, just what you are complaining against. That would b ea bummer if that was the case. (I am not defending any political figure but I like to use freedom of speech with common sense)


Manny Patrice wrote: "Is it a feeling or are you simply using every possible book to propagate your political opinions? This could sound like extremism, just what you are complaining against. That would b ea bummer if t..."

Now Patrice, that's just not fair. Look at the figures. As of this moment, I have posted 2546 reviews, but my donalds-are-trumps shelf contains only 131 entries, about 5% of the total. It's not my fault if those are the ones that everyone seems to vote for.


message 28: by Jim (new)

Jim Patrice wrote: "Is it a feeling or are you simply using every possible book to propagate your political opinions? This could sound like extremism, just what you are complaining against. That would b ea bummer if t..."

check the facts, buddy... trump signed an executive in 2017 that dissolved common sense...


message 29: by Alle (new)

Alle Esor Thanks for this! made my day :)


Manny Always nice to meet another admirer of the immortal Arthur Miller!


Manny Thank you Stefani! And okay, I admit that the link was a bit tenuous, but this review so wanted me to write it down, I couldn't disappoint it.


message 32: by Traveller (new) - added it

Traveller Manny wrote: "ME: Well, I must admit that my first reaction would be delighted surprise..."

The problem is that if he were to be shot, that would just inflame his crazy cult followers even more. He should not have survived his bout of Covid, but the gods are truly toying with us...


Manny They keep asking me if I've got the joke yet. Loki's the worst one.


message 34: by Traveller (new) - added it

Traveller They do love irony, don't they?
...but in yet a new twist, big fat orange man is now telling his followers not to vote at all. Let's hope his adoring base take it to heart and run with it all the way through the next two elections. On the other hand, they might just decide to do like the anti-vaxxers, and attack and intimidate Dems in an effort to stop them from voting as well.


Manny If the GOP leadership decided Agent Orange was hurting their chances too much and hired someone to take him out, would he still be a martyr? Who would his base decide to take revenge on, and how? You surely could get a movie out of this.


Manny Loki! I've told you before, you are NOT allowed to impersonate me on Goodreads!


message 37: by Traveller (new) - added it

Traveller Nice try, Loki, but you and I both know that the leadership would blame Biden and that child-eating Clinton and the Deep State. You really need to stop being so mischievous, but sadly I don't know of anybody who could make you stop.... 🤷‍♀️ ... maybe Manny will have some influence with you, since you're misusing his account.


message 38: by Théo d'Or (new)

Théo d'Or I guess Finley disagree.


Manny Finley has never met anyone who's orange. I think his initial reaction would be distrust, but we're trying to show him that you shouldn't judge someone by the colour of their skin.


message 40: by Théo d'Or (new)

Théo d'Or A killer is a killer. Point barre.


Manny If Trump were smaller, I'm sure Finley would think he was prey and kill him. But it wouldn't be personal, just business.


message 42: by Théo d'Or (new)

Théo d'Or I know. Have you read Jack London's White Fang, by chance ? I liked the canine psychology he develops there, even he wasn't a trained psychologist.


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