Kindle
$1.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$13.04
Paperback
$3.85
Kindle Price: $1.99

Save $3.01 (60%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $6.12

Save: $0.13 (2%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the authors

George Bernard Shaw
Follow
Arthur Atwood
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Pygmalion (Illustrated): The Book Behind the Movie My Fair Lady Kindle Edition

by George Bernard Shaw (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,082 ratings
See all formats and editions
George Bernard Shaw's 'Pygmalion (Illustrated)' is a timeless classic that delves into the themes of transformation, identity, and class distinctions. Shaw's witty and satirical writing style shines through in this play, showcasing his keen observation of society and human nature. The story follows the phonetics professor Henry Higgins as he takes on the challenge of transforming the working-class Eliza Doolittle into a refined lady. As their relationship evolves, Shaw masterfully explores the complexities of social hierarchy and personal growth. The illustrated edition adds a visual dimension to Shaw's vivid characters and settings, enhancing the reader's immersion into the world of 'Pygmalion'. This work is a prime example of Shaw's sharp social commentary and his ability to blend humor with profound insights. George Bernard Shaw's 'Pygmalion (Illustrated)' is a must-read for those interested in classic literature, character-driven narratives, and the nuances of social dynamics.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    230 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Musaicum Books
  5. Publication date
    November 15, 2017
  6. File size
    2162 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B077J4VCND
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Musaicum Books (November 15, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 15, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2162 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 230 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,082 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. George Bernard Shaw

    George Bernard Shaw

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
  2. Arthur Atwood

    Arthur Atwood

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Twitter Version: Dad, Husband, Not President, and Citizen.

    And now my Back Cover Version: Arthur Atwood is a political writer and lover of classic literature. Most known for his beloved Classics for Democrats and Republicans series. Atwood brings his whit and charm to every work. He is a devoted follower of "laugh at yourself before others do".

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
3,082 global ratings
damaged item
1 Star
damaged item
book came water damaged.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Reinold F.
5.0 out of 5 stars Could be love, could be need and craving. (AmazonClassics edition)
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
As an sculptor Higgins works the language and social skills of Eliza, a humble flower girl donned with innate talents. Amazing as Higgins is as a professional he is quite flawed as a social or romantic man. This social clumsiness is bittersweet as makes quite funny parts in the story, but sadly means too that he is not aware of his mistreatment towards his master work. There are no learned lessons: this play, as life, simply happens.

If you like U.K. literature (my favorite period is the 19th century) Pygmalion should be in your list to enjoy. Maybe one of the last original examples of the literature from that fantastic country. The more you advance in time, according to the books I've read, the more you see a rather passive literature, one that waits to see what is done in U.S., or creating but for a U.S. audience. In 19th century literature you can feel London as the center of a vast world empire, in Pygmalion you feel London as a neighborhood, but it has to me the same degree of enjoyment and originality as the period I love more in the U.K. literature history.

About the AmazonClassics edition is maybe the best edition possible for kindle if you want to enjoy for first time the reading of Pygmalion, or if you are a purist that want to experiment a book without the intrusions of scholars. The only addition is a short biography put, in good taste, at the end of the book. The format is clean, the typography is modern, there are not detectable mistakes, and all AmazonClassics edition have X-Ray, what makes them helpful to check mentions of characters and cultural details that are not that evident in our modern world. So highly recommended edition : )
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jazminnlee Llamido
4.0 out of 5 stars Good and quick read
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
Great classic!
Was an easy read as it was a play so there was little struggle with the language of the time, although Eliza's initial dialect proved challenging to understand, however I found reading it aloud helped decipher what she was saying. Fabulous descriptions of the set from Shaw allowing a reader to really captivate the reality of the location and draw up a setting and acting as a great baseline for directors and set designers. Simple but interesting storyline. Short book and a great quick read!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Lara Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars Eliza shines here vs My Fair Lady
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
** Spoilers***
I don't often write reviews with spoilers, but I can't really explain why I like this book so much without talking about the ending. As with many of my reviews of classics, I find that I must review this book in comparison with the movie that I had seen first. The musical "My Fair Lady" is based off of this play to the point that many scenes are even word-for-word. The differences between the musical and this book, though, is huge in my opinion.

The story for both "Pygmalion" and "My Fair Lady" is about both Professor Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. Professor Higgins is a linguist who forms a bet with Pickering to covert Eliza from a poor flower girl to a duchess just by cleaning her speech.

The musical really focuses on the character development of Professor Higgins. Eliza tries to exert her independence, but she ends up coming back to Higgins like an abused wife comes back to a pouty abusive husband. The costumes and music are so beautiful that we try to believe that Higgins is actually in love with Eliza even though there is absolutely no proof of it. I thought the actors were great in this movie, but I found the story disturbing. The lesson was very male-centric and Eliza's independence meant nothing in the end. She came back to fetch his slippers. Nothing changed for her.

From the moment "Pygmalion" was written reader tried to create this sort of love sort between Eliza and Higgins. This caused Mr. Shaw to write a long epilogue explain why a romantic ending such as this was impossible. I completely agree with Mr. Shaw in this.

"My Fair Lady," portrays inconsistent characters and demeans women. "Pygmalion" is much more consistent and, for a book written by a man, one of the best depictions of women I have ever read.

In "Pygmalion," Eliza is actually the focus. Higgins thinks of himself as the perfect Victorian gentleman who is creating a piece of art like in the Greek story of Pygmalion. What we learn in the end, though, is that Eliza was always a person of value even before Higgins came around. Eliza learned to be a lady from Pickering because he treated her like a lady from the beginning. Higgins treated Eliza horribly from the beginning and never stopped. It wasn't Eliza's speech that made her a lady, because we find out she had a fantastic ear for both speech and music, instead, it was actually how she was treated that matters. Higgins never learns this. His horrible manners and rudeness separate him from good society, while Eliza shines wherever she goes. With all the characters of this story, from Freddy to Eliza's father, we learn that there is very little difference between high society and they gutter other than money.

Eliza in the end of "Pygmalion" chooses to marry Freddy who loves her. This is as it should be. When being loved and appreciated is so important to Eliza, why would she choose to go back to the horrible treatment of Higgins? Freddy and she open a flower shop with the help of Pickering. Eliza does stay close to Higgins as she does her own awful father, but she has learned self-respect. Once a person learns to value themselves, they can't allow another person to take that away.

I know many people who think that this ending is a shame. They like Higgin's bullying ways. I find these are the same people who read romance novels in which male character rapes the female character under the name of "romantic". Even though I like James Bond novels, I most certainly do not agree with his horrible treatment of women. I can like Higgins for who he is, but I am very grateful he chooses to stay a bachelor.

Eliza's character has learned to rise up and make her own choices. This isn't a Cinderella story as so many people want it to be. Eliza's soul is still the same. She is a survivor and a fighter. It takes a very strong woman to stand up to a man like Higgins who can twist and turn words to get his way. She is what a woman should be and even gets the support of Higgin's mother in her battle for independence. Mr. Shaw understood well what a woman wants and values. Eliza doesn't try to become a man to fight back. She just fights back.

This review may have ruined "My Fair Lady" for you, but I find I can still enjoy the music and costumes just fine. After reading this book, I can even watch the musical with the satisfaction that Eliza doesn't stay in that abusive situation for long. I honestly can enjoy the movie more now after having read the book. Higgins is not Pygmalion even though he wanted to be. Eliza instead is able to show that she always was alive and had value from the very beginning. This is as it should be.

I recommend this book to young adults and older. I wish, especially, that women would read this and learn to expect more from their relationships. I wish that woman would look at this portrait of a strong female character and see that you don't have to marry the bully just because you can care about him. Love is more than compassion. I wish that woman would stop writing "romantic" novel based off of abusive relationships. Mr. Shaw is a man who understood women better than many women understand women.

One line from "My Fair Lady" that you will never read in "Pygmalion" is "why can't a woman be more like a man?" In many ways, Mr. Shaw actually asks Higgins "why can't you humble yourself enough to learn from Eliza?"
65 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Susan Mccoy
5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Story
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
I didn't know what to expect when I bought this book, but I was pleasantly surprised! A very enjoyable read! Good to know how Eliza ended up! 😊
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
fra7299
3.0 out of 5 stars Some charm, but I think it is slightly dated.
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, a social commentary and comedy about the transformation of a poor flower girl (Liza Doolittle) has been presented on stage and screen in various ways since its first publication. The title is in reference to the Greek legend of Pygmalion, a sculptor who literally fell in love with his creation. In Shaw’s play, it is Henry Higgins, a professor in phonetics, who tries to literally sculp Liza into the proper lady.

For some reason, I had a hard time getting invested in this one, and I think it stemmed from the characters and the dialogue. The characters were not very redeeming or sympathetic to me, and it was hard to identify with or care about any of them. I think this is because the dialogue is a bit scattered and flat; it seems like the character exchanges had a little too much cantankerous and obnoxious banter back and forth. In another sense, this play seems like it really has not aged well, and is a tad dated. So, while I can see how some people might find some charm in this satire, I did not find it particularly compelling.

I think that seeing this on stage or on film might actually be a more engaging experience than reading it because I think that those who perform it could give their own take or interpretation to Shaw’s dialogue. I can see how Shaw’s play would be a big hit on stage and would have big production value.

At any rate, I am glad I finally read it, but over all a so-so reading experience with this one.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Audrey G. Lacer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good condition
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
It's in good condition and the plot of the story/play is shorter than the movie that Audrey Hepburn stars in but is good nonetheless.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Jaime A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Ok
Reviewed in Spain on October 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
Ok
Report
stuart mead
5.0 out of 5 stars As expected
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
Enjoyably reading
Report
Chiara Addis
5.0 out of 5 stars Libro scolastico
Reviewed in Italy on September 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
Comprato quando andavo al liceo, arrivato in condizioni ottime. Consigliato per chi studia lingue e letteratura.
Approvato e consigliato!
Report
Bianca
5.0 out of 5 stars Challenge accepted!
Reviewed in Brazil on March 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
É a coisinha mais linda e tem uma linguagem muito coloquial na língua inglesa que vai ser desafiado, mas eu amei demais!!!!
Report
Didi-Morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars Tellement drôle !
Reviewed in France on February 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
Le colis est arrivé dans les temps et en bon état.
Cette pièce de Bernard Shaw est un vrai chef-d'oeuvre, très facile à lire : l'histoire est vivifiante, la pièce est juste trop drôle, les personnages sont merveilleux... une lecture à la fois détendante et enrichissante ! L'adaptation de la pièce en film, dans My Fair Lady avec Audrey Hepburn, rend compte de manière très intelligente de toutes ces caractéristiques de la pièce. Engagée et drôle à la fois, c'est un mélange explosif par un écrivain génial !
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report