Product Description

'Why does he write those ghastly plays that the whole of Paris flocks to see? And why does he paint such lifelike portraits that everyone recognizes themselves?' Moliere, The Impromptu at Versailles This volume brings together four of Moliere's greatest verse comedies covering the best years of his prolific writing career. Actor, director, and playwright, Moliere (1622-73) was one of the finest and most influential French dramatists, adept at portraying human foibles and puncturing pomposity. The School for Wives was his first great success; Tartuffe, condemned and banned for five years, his most controversial play. The Misanthrope is his acknowledged masterpiece, and The Clever Women his last, and perhaps best-constructed, verse piece. In addition this collection includes a spirited attack on his enemies and a defence of his theatre, in the form of two sparkling short plays, The School for Wives Criticized and The Impromptu at Versailles. Moliere's prose plays are available in a complementary Oxford World's Classics edition, Don Juan and Other Plays.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107504 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Customer Reviews

A beautiful play butchered.
Within moments of opening up this book I found myself utterly disgusted at what is being marketed as an updated version of the English translation of Moliere's 'The Misanthrope', a play that is, in my opinion one of the most clever, witty, well written comedys of it's era. The opening line, 'Oh, what's the matter? Whats wrong now?' sets the tone for this crude, basic translation which robs Moliere's play of all the beauty and delicacy he wrote it with and instead offers us tacky, shallow dialogue which would barely be worthy of a nursery rhym. Let me assure you that anyone with any respect for the works of Moliere, or even simply for posterity and traditon will be horrified at this so called 'new translation' and I urge you not to waste your hard earned money.