autobiography

Long Day's Journey Into Night tells a story so close to the author's real life that he had his contract from Random House guarantee it wouldn't be published for 25 years. In the play, O'Neill unveils his own family's battle to both discover and hide family secrets. His own life is reflected throughout the play, giving the reader or audience an in depth look at something he didn't want shared until all those who'd be affected by it were dead and buried.

His surviving spouse and third wife Carlotta, gave the rights to the play to Yale University in 1956. The play was published three years after his death. Somehow, I don't think the author would have been happy. In fact, I don't think he would have appreciated the 1957 Pulitzer Prize he received posthumously either.

Like the play's characters, O’Neill grew up on the road. His father was a traveling actor, his mother delusional, and his older brother an alcoholic. O’Neill saw and portrayed himself as a disillusioned idealist on the path toward death. He portrays his family as possessing an abiding familial love, a love marred by both addiction and overwhelming disappointment. These truths of character, as well as an abundance of flaws and insights are revealed throughout the play. It's a very sad story, but one told unbelievably well. It doesn't get much better than this.