R.U.R.

Name: R.U.R.
Author: Karel Čapek

Karel Čapek, translated by Paul Selver, Nigel Playfair

free · 20,262 words · ~1 h read · first published 1920

text from Standard Ebooks

scroll plz ↓continue ↓

(start over)

Dramatis Personae

In order of appearance:

Harry Domin, General Manager of Rossum’s Universal Robots

A handsome man of 35. Forceful, efficient and humorous at times.
Sulla, a Robotess

A pathetic figure. Young, pretty and attractive.
Marius, a Robot

A young Robot, superior to the general run of his kind. Dressed in modern clothes.
Helena Glory

A vital, sympathetic, handsome girl of 21.
Dr. Gall, head of the Physiological and Experimental Department of R.U.R.

A tall, distinguished scientist of 50.
Mr. Fabry, Engineer General, Technical Controller of R.U.R.

A forceful, competent engineer of 40.
Dr. Hallemeier, head of the Institute for Psychological Training of Robots

An impressive man of 40. Bald head and beard.
Mr. Alquist, Architect, head of the Works Department of R.U.R.

A stout, kindly old man of 60.
Consul Busman, General Manager of R.U.R.
Nana

A tall, acidulous woman of 40.
Radius, a Robot

A tall, forceful Robot.
Helena, a Robotess

A radiant young woman of 20.
Primus, a Robot

A good-looking young Robot.
A Servant
First Robot
Second Robot
Third Robot

Note

All the Robots wear expressionless faces and move with absolute mechanical precision, with the exception of Sulla, Helena and Primus, who convey a touch of humanity.

restoring your place…

fetching the rest…

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man James Joyce
The prose literally grows up with Stephen, from baby talk to feverish theology, and the hellfire sermon in the middle will scare you even if you've never been Catholic. Slow going in spots, but if you like watching a mind assemble itself, this is that.
Moby Dick Herman Melville
You settle in with Ishmael’s dry wit, Queequeg’s strange tenderness, and Melville’s gloriously unnecessary chapter on whale classification. It’s digressive, funny, and sometimes stubbornly slow, but Ahab’s grief-mad intensity gives all that wandering a dark pressure you keep thinking about.
Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë
Fair warning, almost nobody in it is likable, and that's the point. Heathcliff and Cathy love each other like a grudge, the moors practically howl, and Nelly Dean gossips you through the whole wreck.

Dramatis Personae

In order of appearance:

Harry Domin, General Manager of Rossum’s Universal Robots

A handsome man of 35. Forceful, efficient and humorous at times.

Sulla, a Robotess

A pathetic figure. Young, pretty and attractive.

Marius, a Robot

A young Robot, superior to the general run of his kind. Dressed in modern clothes.

Helena Glory

A vital, sympathetic, handsome girl of 21.

Dr. Gall, head of the Physiological and Experimental Department of R.U.R.

A tall, distinguished scientist of 50.

Mr. Fabry, Engineer General, Technical Controller of R.U.R.

A forceful, competent engineer of 40.

Dr. Hallemeier, head of the Institute for Psychological Training of Robots

An impressive man of 40. Bald head and beard.

Mr. Alquist, Architect, head of the Works Department of R.U.R.

A stout, kindly old man of 60.

Consul Busman, General Manager of R.U.R.

Nana

A tall, acidulous woman of 40.

Radius, a Robot

A tall, forceful Robot.

Helena, a Robotess

A radiant young woman of 20.

Primus, a Robot

A good-looking young Robot.

A Servant

First Robot

Second Robot

Third Robot

Note

All the Robots wear expressionless faces and move with absolute mechanical precision, with the exception of Sulla, Helena and Primus, who convey a touch of humanity.