The Complete Works of Francois Rabelais (Centennial Books) - Softcover

Rabelais, Francois

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0520064011 ISBN 13: 9780520064010

Publisher: University of California Press, 1999

Synopsis

Rip-roaring and rib-tickling, François Rabelais's irreverent story of the giant Gargantua, his giant son Pantagruel, and their companion Panurge is a classic of the written word. This complete translation by Donald Frame, helpfully annotated for the nonspecialist, is a masterpiece in its own right, bringing to twentieth-century English all the exuberance and invention of the original sixteenth-century French. A final part containing all the rest of Rabelais's known writings, including his letters, supplements the five books traditionally known as Gargantua and Pantagruel.

This great comic narrative, written in hugely popular installments over more than two decades, was unsparingly satirical of scholarly pomposity and the many abuses of religious, legal, and political power. The books were condemned at various times by the Sorbonne and narrowly escaped being banned. Behind Rabelais's obvious pleasure in lampooning effete erudition and the excesses of society is the humanist's genuine love of knowledge and belief in the basic goodness of human nature. The bawdy wit and uninhibited zest for life that characterize his unlikely trio of travelers have delighted readers and inspired other writers ever since the exploits of Gargantua and Pantagruel first appeared.

About this title

About the Author

Francois Rabelais is known through his work more than through the details of his life, which are scanty. Born in the late fifteenth century, he first chose the monastic life, then left to become a lay priest and make a career as a physician, teacher, and writer. Donald M. Frame, (1911-1991) was Professor of French at Columbia University, and a renowned translator of, and expert on, Montaigne and Moliere as well as Rabelais. Raymond C. La Charite is Professor of French at the University of Kentucky and editor of French Forum and French Forum Monographs.

From the Back Cover

A tour de force. . . . There is no doubt in my mind that, like his translation of Montaigne, [Frame's] translation of Rabelais will become the standard translation in English.--Philippe Desan, University of Chicago

Edition details

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0520064011
• ISBN 13: 9780520064010
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 1116