Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
"Pygmalion" is a play that explores the transformative power of education and the nature of language and communication. It follows the story of a cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle who is taught to speak and behave like a duchess by a pompous phonetics professor, Henry Higgins. Throughout the process, Eliza develops self-respect and personal dignity, challenging the Victorian society's rigid class system. The play also questions the idea of 'making' someone and the moral responsibility that comes with it.
The 854th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 424
Since this book was first published in 1913, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 424.0.
This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.
- score: 115 -- 100 Books of Classical and Modern Foreign Literature (Weight: 114)
- score: 108 -- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century (Weight: 108)
- score: 51 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (Weight: 51)
- score: 45 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (Weight: 45)
- score: 39 -- The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written (Weight: 39)
- score: 33 -- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List (Weight: 33)
- score: 29 -- 50 Greatest Plays of The Past 100 Years (1913–2013) (Weight: 27)
- score: 3 -- From Oedipus to The History Boys: Michael Billington's 101 greatest plays (Weight: 3)