Mr. Arcularis
By Conrad Aiken
1957
First Published
3.79
Average Rating
300
Number of Pages
Comedy Full Length / The action begins in an operating room, where Mr. Arcularis undergoes major heart surgery. To hasten his recuperation he embarks on a prolonged sea voyage—but many of his fellow passengers are strangely similar to the doctors and nurses from the hospital. There is some confusion when Mr. Arcularis' name is not found among those of the Purser's list, but he settles in to enjoy his trip. But two disclosures disturb him. The other travelers tell him of his sleepwalking and the Steward reveals that there is a coffin on board. When it is discovered someone has tried to force open the coffin an inquiry is held, and the culprit proves to be Mr. Arcularis. The knowledge of his action unleashes a flood of painful memories; his childhood, his mother's infidelity, the discovery of her drowned body. Struggling to sort out the meaning of his existence Mr. Arcularis cries out for light…and we are back in the operating room where the play began. This time, however, the mood is intent and somber as the patient's pulse slowly fades, and he slips into death. (10 men, 5 15 total)
Avg Rating
3.79
Number of Ratings
66
5 STARS
26%
4 STARS
35%
3 STARS
32%
2 STARS
8%
1 STARS
0%
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Author
Conrad Aiken
Author · 13 books
Known American writer Conrad Potter Aiken won a Pulitzer Prize of 1930 for Selected Poems . Most of work of this short story critic and novelist reflects his intense interest in psychoanalysis and the development of identity. As editor of Selected Poems of Emily Elizabeth Dickinson in 1924, he largely responsibly established her posthumous literary reputation. From the 1920s, Aiken divided his life between England and the United States and played a significant role in introducing American poets to the British audience. He fathered gifted writers Joan Aiken and Jane Aiken Hodge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad\_...
