They were broadly positive, though they stopped short of naming it one of Ayckbourn's best. Michael Billington in The Guardian wrote ``Few dramatists in history have painted a more devastating picture of the emotional damage wrought by bullying men,'' and described Martin's misguided affection for his girlfriends as ``an instant image of a grisly inheritance''.
They were broadly positive, though they stopped short of naming it one of Ayckbourn's best.
nsubj
Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs
they
They
PRON
PRP
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
were
AUX
VBD
advmod
broadly
broadly
ADV
RB
root
Degree=Pos
positive
positive
ADJ
JJ
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
mark
though
though
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs
they
they
PRON
PRP
advcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
stop
stopped
VERB
VBD
advmod
short
short
ADV
RB
mark
of
of
SCONJ
IN
advcl
VerbForm=Ger
name
naming
VERB
VBG
obj
Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
it
it
PRON
PRP
xcomp
NumForm=Word|NumType=Card
one
one
NUM
CD
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Number=Sing
Ayckbourn
Ayckbourn
PROPN
NNP
case
's
's
PART
POS
nmod
Degree=Sup
good
best
ADJ
JJS
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
Michael Billington in
root
Number=Sing
Michael
Michael
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
Billington
Billington
PROPN
NNP
advmod
in
in
ADV
RB
The Guardian wrote ``Few dramatists in history have painted a more devastating picture of the emotional damage wrought by bullying men,'' and described Martin's misguided affection for his girlfriends as ``an instant image of a grisly inheritance''.
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
The
DET
DT
nsubj
Number=Sing
Guardian
Guardian
PROPN
NNP
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
write
wrote
VERB
VBD
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
amod
Degree=Pos
few
Few
ADJ
JJ
nsubj
Number=Plur
dramatist
dramatists
NOUN
NNS
case
in
in
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Sing
history
history
NOUN
NN
aux
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
have
have
AUX
VBP
ccomp
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part
paint
painted
VERB
VBN
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
advmod
Degree=Cmp
more
more
ADV
RBR
amod
Degree=Pos
devastating
devastating
ADJ
JJ
obj
Number=Sing
picture
picture
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
emotional
emotional
ADJ
JJ
nmod
Number=Sing
damage
damage
NOUN
NN
acl
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part
write
wrought
VERB
VBN
case
by
by
ADP
IN
compound
Number=Sing
bullying
bullying
NOUN
NN
obl
Number=Plur
man
men
NOUN
NNS
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
punct
''
''
PUNCT
''
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
conj
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
describe
described
VERB
VBD
nmod:poss
Number=Sing
Martin
Martin
PROPN
NNP
case
's
's
PART
POS
amod
Degree=Pos
misguided
misguided
ADJ
JJ
obj
Number=Sing
affection
affection
NOUN
NN
case
for
for
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
his
his
PRON
PRP$
nmod
Number=Plur
girlfriend
girlfriends
NOUN
NNS
case
as
as
ADP
IN
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
an
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
instant
instant
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Sing
image
image
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
grisly
grisly
ADJ
JJ
nmod
Number=Sing
inheritance
inheritance
NOUN
NN
punct
'
'
PUNCT
''
punct
'
'
PUNCT
''
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.