Not a World of Men

Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"it's not a world of men...it's not a world of men, Machine...it's a world of clock watchers, bureaucrats, officeholders"

Glengarry Glen Ross is, on the surface, about men trying to sell real estate. But it is really about more about the lies upon which businesses are made and conducted, lies which layer upon each other and compete with each other until no one has a moral compass, and all are guided the simple idea of "getting what's mine."

The story is also about fairness. The system here rewards the successful with a Cadillac, but punishes the less successful (or unlucky) with the loss of job. But it is also a system where only a few are given the best opportunity to cash in on that success. While the play is set in a particular world, this theme is universal.

While it was sometimes difficult to follow the plot because some details of the setting are not familiar (and Mamet provides next to nothing to help), I managed to keep up and get the hang of the story. Glengarry Glen Ross is a sad, riveting tale, one that needs to be read.

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