本书精选了克洛岱尔四部著名的戏剧，这些剧目至今仍然不断上演，其中《正午的分界》这部戏的故事发生在中国，是以作者在福州做外交官期间亲身经历的一段刻骨铭心的恋情为背景的，称为经典剧目，近年又在中国多个城市巡回演出过，引起观众很大兴趣，充满了诗意和象征。
《城市》
通篇充满了象征，表明一个毫无宗教信仰的现代城市的悲剧命运。资产阶级的统治精神因无视心灵的生活，最终导致城市的暴动。而充满基督精神的诗人则在信仰中找到了光明。
《交换》
人若是无法控制自己的发财欲望，那么，贪婪、野心、傲慢充分暴露后，便不得不走上赎罪之路。
《正午的分界》
作者亲身经历了非法、罪孽的恋情。剧的诗艺力量真实地吟唱了主人公在世俗之爱和对天主的爱之间犹豫不决的痛苦内心。面对死亡，情人梅萨与漪瑟认识到自身的罪孽，并归入天主的怀抱。
《给圣母马利亚报信》
最炽烈的宗教激情，维奥兰的神迹与圣母马利亚无玷而孕一样是神恩。体现罪恶与神恩的对立、肉欲与灵魂的冲突，并宣称傲慢、贪婪和嫉妒必遭失败，而克己、容忍和牺牲则将产生奇迹。

"Rock is alive and rolling like thunder in Next to Normal. It's the best musical of the season by a mile . . . an emotional powerhouse with a fire in its soul and a wicked wit that burns just as fiercely."--Rolling Stone "No show on Broadway right now makes as a direct grab for the heart--or wrings it as thoroughly--as Next to Normal does. . . . It] focuses squarely on the pain that cripples the members of a suburban family, and never for a minute does it let you escape the anguish at the core of their lives. Next to Normal does not, in other words, qualify as your standard feel-good musical. Instead this portrait of a manic-depressive mother and the people she loves and damages is something much more: a feel-everything musical, which asks you, with operatic force, to discover the liberation in knowing where it hurts."--Ben Brantley, The New York Times Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre, Next to Normal is also available in an original cast recording. It was named Best Musical of the Season by Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times. Brian Yorkey received the 2009 Tony Award for Best Original Score for his work on Next to Normal and was also nominated for Best Book of a Musical. His other credits include Making Tracks and Time After Time. Tom Kitt received two 2009 Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations for Next to Normal. He also composed the music for High Fidelity and From Up Here. His string arrangements appear on the new Green Day album 21st Century Breakdown, and he is the leader of the Tom Kitt Band.