--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My second play, The Birthday Party, I…" description: "\"My second play, The Birthday Party, I wrote in 1958 - or 1957. It was totally destroyed by the critics of the day, who called it an absolute load of ru..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/harold-pinter-3125_birthday_my-second-play-the-birthday-party-i-wrot_385975.png" --- # My second play, The Birthday Party, I wrote in 1958 - or… ![“My second play, The Birthday Party, I wrote in 1958 - or 1957. It was totally destroyed by the critics of the day, who called it an absolute load of rubbish.” quote by Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/harold-pinter-3125_birthday_my-second-play-the-birthday-party-i-wrot_385975.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/harold-pinter-3125_birthday_my-second-play-the-birthday-party-i-wrot_385975.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/harold-pinter-3125_birthday_my-second-play-the-birthday-party-i-wrot_385975.png) > “My second play, The Birthday Party, I wrote in 1958 - or 1957. It was totally destroyed by the critics of the day, who called it an absolute load of rubbish.” [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The play was harshly dismissed by contemporary critics as worthless. **In simple terms:** Critics called the play rubbish. Key Takeaway Expect harsh criticism for innovative work. Themes art criticism innovation reception risk Mood defiant reflective Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - theatre productions - new playwrights - experimental works - critical reviews Key Concepts literary theory subjectivity cultural context Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle negative feedback? - What value can criticism bring? A Different Perspective Even with negative reviews, a work can gain lasting influence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Birthday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birthday/) [Birthday party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birthday-party/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [In the first act, you get the audience's attention - once you have it, they will repay you in the second. 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My 20th birthday party was all about booze, my 30th birthday was about drugs, and now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-james/food-is-one-of-life-s-really-great-pleasures-my-20th-birthday-party/) Alex James > [I suffered a lot when there was, like, a birthday party and I was not invited. Not because I was ugly or stupid; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riccardo-tisci/i-suffered-a-lot-when-there-was-like-a-birthday-party-and-i-was-not/) [Riccardo Tisci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riccardo-tisci/) > [“On my seventh birthday party: No, you can't have a bouncy house at your birthday party...What do you mean, why? Have you ever thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-halpern/on-my-seventh-birthday-party-no-you-can-t-have-a-bouncy-house-at-your/) [Justin Halpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-halpern/) > [No matter what, I'm never going to get an anthology from an actual publisher, though I could always score another music anthology. 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Everything we do Corrects the space Between death and me And you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/i-know-the-place-i-know-the-place-it-is-true-everything-we-do/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [“DEELEY: Myself I was a student then, juggling with my future, wondering should I bejasus saddle myself with a slip of a girl not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/deeley-myself-i-was-a-student-then-juggling-with-my-future-wondering/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [I've never been able to understand what they mean by 'Pinteresque,'. I'm sure it's indefinable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/i-ve-never-been-able-to-understand-what-they-mean-by-pinteresque-i-m/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [A character on stage who can present no convincing argument or information as to his past experience, his present behaviour or his aspirations, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/a-character-on-stage-who-can-present-no-convincing-argument-or/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [I'll tell you what I really think about politicians. The other night I watched some politicians on television talking about Vietnam. I wanted very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/i-ll-tell-you-what-i-really-think-about-politicians-the-other-night-i/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [Be careful how you talk about God. He's the only God we have. If you let him go he won't come back. He won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/be-careful-how-you-talk-about-god-he-s-the-only-god-we-have-if-you/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [I hate brandy...it stinks of modern literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/i-hate-brandy-it-stinks-of-modern-literature/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [“What sound was that? I turn away, into the shaking room. What was that sound that came in on the dark? What is this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/what-sound-was-that-i-turn-away-into-the-shaking-room-what-was-that/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [There are no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal, nor between what is true and what is false. 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The search is clearly what drives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/truth-in-drama-is-forever-elusive-you-never-quite-find-it-but-the/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [Most of the press is in league with government, or with the status quo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/most-of-the-press-is-in-league-with-government-or-with-the-status-quo/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [Iraq is just a symbol of the attitude of western democracies to the rest of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/iraq-is-just-a-symbol-of-the-attitude-of-western-democracies-to-the/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) [Explore all 138 Harold Pinter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) ## More Birthday quotes > [I had sort of had a 21st birthday when I was 17, 18 years old living in Japan. I had all of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wright/i-had-sort-of-had-a-21st-birthday-when-i-was-17-18-years-old-living/) [Sarah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wright/) > [Spiritually, life is a festival, a celebration. Joy is of the essence of life;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnivesh/spiritually-life-is-a-festival-a-celebration-joy-is-of-the-essence-of/) [Agnivesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnivesh/) > [Here is your third gift from Me once again..I had a fourth gift it was about me making a video telling you how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilbear/here-is-your-third-gift-from-me-once-again-i-had-a-fourth-gift-it-was/) [LilBear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilbear/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [“Natales grate numeras? (Do you count your birthdays with gratitude?)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/natales-grate-numeras-do-you-count-your-birthdays-with-gratitude/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“Jarod Kintz Day—it’s not just my birthday, but it should be a holiday that’s mandatory to celebrate, punishable by death if you don’t. It’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/jarod-kintz-day-it-s-not-just-my-birthday-but-it-should-be-a-holiday/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [May Lord bless you abundantly because a sweetheart like you deserves the best! Have a glorious and memorable Birthday!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-lord-bless-you-abundantly-because-a-sweetheart-like-you-deserves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Happy Birthday To Me,I just turned twenty three(23),I want a new Puppy, And I'll name it Julie:) Chocolate cake anyone all I have leftover,,,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becka-miller/happy-birthday-to-me-i-just-turned-twenty-three-23-i-want-a-new-puppy/) [Becka Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becka-miller/) > [I've always taken care of myself, and I'm a non-conformist, so I don't accept the negativity that comes with birthdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-van-dam/i-ve-always-taken-care-of-myself-and-i-m-a-non-conformist-so-i-don-t/) [Rob Van Dam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-van-dam/) > [If you're going to do a job, do it right. If you're going to throw a birthday party, make it amazing. If you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-john-liautaud/if-you-re-going-to-do-a-job-do-it-right-if-you-re-going-to-throw-a/) [Jimmy John Liautaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-john-liautaud/) > [On Father's Day, we again wish you all happy birthday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-kiner/on-father-s-day-we-again-wish-you-all-happy-birthday/) [Ralph Kiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-kiner/) > [I got Mary pregnant and man that's all she wrote. 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And that reason is our very existence!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/every-day-we-have-a-special-reason-to-make-a-good-celebration-and/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) [Browse all 2,984 Birthday quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birthday/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My second play, The Birthday Party, I wrote in 1958 - or 1957. 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