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Buy The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds by Paul Zindel available and for sale on Brightsurf
| View Larger Image | The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
by Paul Zindel
| | List Price: | $6.99 |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 57402 | | Studio: | HarperTeen | | | Binding: | Paperback | | Reading Level: | Young Adult | | Number Of Pages: | 112 | | Publication Date: | April 01, 2005 | | Publisher: | HarperTeen |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
The old, converted vegetable shop where Tillie lives is more like a madhouse than a home. Tillie's mother, Beatrice, is bitter and cruel, yet desperate for her daughters' love. Her sister, Ruth, suffers epileptic fits and sneaks cigarettes every chance she gets. In the midst of chaos, Tillie struggles to keep her focus and dreams alive. Tillie -- keeper of rabbits, dreamer of atoms, true believer in life, hope, and the effect of gamma rays on man-in-the-moon marigolds. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 16 reviews)
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Some background on Gamma Rays 
The author of Gamma Rays (Paul Zindel) was my science and chemistry teacher on Staten Island (in the 60's). He was a hilarious teacher and would set off experiments, run out of the classroom and lock us in, and there we would be all alone, thinking the classroom was going to explode. He was also in charge of our high school's annual science fair. The winner of our science fair for 3 years' running was an exhibit titled "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Marigolds" and I always wondered if this play was about the girl who kept winning our Science Fair. While the play has no specific geographic location, it does mention Moravian Cemetery which is located on Staten Island. This play is a wonderful legacy and brings back many memories.
April 17, 2008 | |
Toxic life 
Beatrice and her two daughters, Ruth and Tillie, live in cheap accommodation in a converted shop. The store's front display window is still there, but covered in newspapers. All three females struggle, in their various ways, with the toxicity of life, with the fact that 'fairness' is for them a distant hope far beyond their grasp. For Beatrice the struggle takes the form of 'get-rich-quick' schemes as a way of escaping 'failure'. For Ruth the hard facts of life, particularly the reality of death, lead to a kind of epileptic fit, a retreat into unconsciousness. For Tillie the answer is in learning and especially science. Together these three people hurt and encourage one another as they engage in the 'struggle for life'.
This play won the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and that is certainly an indication of its quality. It has had a successful run Off Broadway and has been made into a television drama. This is certainly not Shakespeare, but is definitely far above the ho-hum plotting of, for example, most TV plays. The creative use of lighting and symbolism are the best features, which combine to generate a psychologically poignant ambiance. This is only a two act play, so be warned, if you are looking for searching character analysis and deep philosophy you will not find it here. The play would do admirably as the subject of a school essay, and Gale has indeed released a study book for such purposes (Paul Zindel's "The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds": A Study Guide from Gale's "Drama for Students" (Volume 12, Chapter 3)).
April 04, 2008 | |
Good quick read 
I thought this play was an entertaining quick read. It was certainly different. I'll admit I bought the book because of the title and cover art. This play wasn't life changing or a play I'll treasure for ever but since it IS, as I've said, a quick read and entertaining: it's worth giving it a try! Most importantly, it isn't your run of the mill play about a family. It certainly is unique.
June 23, 2006 | |
Question about the book .
Well , I have read the book . To me its quite interesting . ?But I don't really understand about the book . But i want to know who is the girl on the cover page of the book(The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds) .
can anybody tell me ?
February 19, 2006 | |
Sublime Experiments in Mutation
I see this as a play about the power of hatred and pain versus the power of awe and wonder. In each individual there is a struggle between the two, particularly Beatrice, the mother of Tillie (aka Matilda) and Ruth. The love and trauma of family is especially harsh because the effects are the deepest. In this play, about a mother and her two daughters, the spectre of family life is exposed as dangerous and hurtful, despite a natural inclination against such negativity. In that confusing place resides the plays sublime nature, where youthful spiritual proclivity battles angst filled self hating adulthood. Simply written, possible to be read in an hour, "The Effects" are moving.
November 12, 2004 | |
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