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144 Book Reviews against such an exercise. Chapter six considers Beckeu's influence. Chapter seven very briefly passes over Old Times, No Man's Land, and Betrayal, which is too bad, since although, as Almansi and Henderson note, the language has changed, it can still be examined in the context that they provided. Indeed, how do those changes relate to the authors' contentions? Chapter eight points out that the screenplay of The French Lieutenant's Woman "so far has not been fully analysed" (p. 95), though the authors certainly did not undertake to change this situation, their perusal being extremely superficial. In a sense. Almansi and Henderson can be considered reductionists of sorts. There is obviously no question about the importance of Pinter's use of language, but in Harold Pinter the authors have concentrated only on this element. Language is used by Pinter as a revealer, as an instrument (and a weapon), not as an end-all . Almansi and Henderson say some valuable things about this, yet the substance of Harold Pinter could be expressed in an extended essay (cutting the plot summaries and the rehash of old criticism, some of which is not needed for their argument). Harold Pinter is an interesting book, and one that Pinter scholars will probably want to acquire, but it is not an indispensable study. STEVEN H. GALE, MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE COLLEGE RICHARD CORBALLJS . Stoppard: The Mystery and the Clockwork. New York: Methuen 1984. pp.204· $8.95 (PB). Richard CorbaUis's Stoppard: The Mystery alld the Clockwork (1984) contains a new, somewhat oblique, well-written statement about Tom Stoppard's works. It is appropriate that someone writing about Stoppard be permitted the techniques Corbal1is employs, yet I wish to quibble a bit about his book. The thesis contained in the title refers to Ge

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