{"product_id":"9781408144183","title":"The Way of the World","description":"If seventeenth- and eighteenth-century comedy differ in that the former\u003cbr\u003eis about sex (and adultery actually happens) while the latter is about\u003cbr\u003elove (and adultery is merely threatened), then Congreve - writing at\u003cbr\u003ethe turn of the century - occupies a phase of transition. Mirabell is\u003cbr\u003eno saint, but he deserves the title of 'hero' for masterminding the\u003cbr\u003eaction with the same wit and humanity with which the dramatist designed\u003cbr\u003ethe play. Mirabell is both financially and amorously interested in the\u003cbr\u003eskittish Millamant, who declares that she might, with certain provisos,\u003cbr\u003e'dwindle into a wife'. The introduction to this edition clarifies the\u003cbr\u003eplaywright's and his characters' highly intricate plotting and argues\u003cbr\u003ethat the key metaphor of the play is card-playing, in which fortune,\u003cbr\u003ecunning, concealment and a high trump drawn from the sleeve at the\u003cbr\u003eright moment will win the game - and the heiress.","brand":"Bloomsbury USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47138089173232,"sku":"9781408144183","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781408144183_p0.jpg?v=1763717940","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781408144183","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}