Well, I am currently reading the French version of the play, and thankful for doing so. The english version is so off by literal standards it takes much of the meaning away. The entire cat discussion-that was based on cats and dogs-a dog has 4 paws therefore it is a cat because a cat has 4 paws. It is a very absurd play-but better in french.

This is one of the greatest books I have ever read! It is very subtle and has many double meanings. It's very good if you want to have a laugh, but it's not only funny: It will get you thinking about the world and the people in it, the dangers of conformity.Really worth buying!

One could do worse than to commemorate the installation of George W. Bush as President-apparent of the United States by reading "The Leader," one of the short plays in this collection. (My favorite quote these days: "But -- the Leader hasn't got a head!" "What's he need a head for when he's got GENIUS?") _Rhinoceros_ itself, of course, in its slow-motion documentation of the "rhinozation" of an entire populace, was originally a trope on the rise of Nazism, but could certainly be applied to the gradual rightward shift of the American political spectrum.

I was technically forced to read this book for school and found it to be quite excellent. I never imagined that a school-required book would actually be well-worth it. If any French teachers are reading this, I urge to buy this book. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

I've found it a pleasure for reading and, what is more, very interesting and useful for my work.

Wow, I usually like books that are very metaphorical and complex, but I found this book to be too over the top. I became lost in the babble. It put me to sleep. I was too tired to find the symbolism and critiques of society!

Ionesco promised to deliberately explore the post WW2 world by integrating the ABSURD (post-existentialist stream of thought) into the everyday life. He did it with such an ingenious way of portraying the lives of two bourgeouis couples who suffer the scandalous effects of WW2. By breaking all rules concerning grammar and the written way of expression as a means to justify the absurdity which lives inside of us and expressed orally with our "stream of consciousness". Pure genius on his writng skills, ionesco demonstrates just how far one can go just by simply observing the distortions of human relations when affected by dark historical moments...

Whether you love or hate absurdist (ahem) writers, this play is one of the most exemplary editions of a very important phase in postmodern drama. The other reviewer gives no reason why he didn't like it other than he didn't understand it. Bad critic.

Lorsque j'avais 19 ans , un chameau m' a violé d`une manière plutôt agressive . Je lui ai bouffé les testicules et il est mort .(ceci est absurde.)

Another wonderful work by Ionesco that confronts fascism with the humorous representation of the rhinoceros. If you have read the English translation, you are missing out on what the French version has to offer.