The Misanthrope and Tartuffe
by Molière, Richard Wilbur
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Read in January, 1996
I don't know whether Alceste's undeniable appeal and wit motivated me, or whether I showed up detached and read the play as simple affirmation. Either way, he gives Bartleby a run for his money in my all time favorite barnacles.
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I really enjoy all of Moliere's work. He's funny; even being so long ago, the comedy holds. I saw School for Wives and nearly laughed my head off, especially when the actors over-acted, which I could picture Moliere doing on stage; all part of the satire.
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Read in November, 2007
Act One is rather confusing; Moliere hits the audience with a bunch of characters whose roles do not really become clear until somewhere in the middle of Act Two. He sums it up all too quickly in Act Five, leaving the audience a little confused. However, the Wilbur translation is wonderful and I still marvel that it was traslated into such perfect English poetry from French.
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Read in March, 2005
What's funny is I read these again because I didn't remember anything about them from high school. And when I read them, I really, really enjoyed them! And now I couldn't tell you the first thing about them! I feel like at some point, someone was hiding in a wardrobe. But doesn't that happen in every play?
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Read in February, 2003
My mother took me to a production of Tartuffe when I was a junior in high school. I thought it was hilarious. In fact, I liked the play so much that I bought a t-shirt and wore it regularly for about the next 10 years, or until it fell apart. Moliere continues to be one of my favorite playwrights.
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Actually, not so much recommending this specific book as much as I am recommending reading everything by the man. I would say if you have never read anything by him, to start with Tartuffe, where you can get an instant appreciation for his (beautifully barbed) insight into human nature.
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LOVE Moliere, he's like a French Oscar Wilde, very witty and satirical. Tartuffe is hilarious, and so is The Imaginary Invalid. Good 'reading' plays, as opposed to plays that are best on stage only. The language in these is so rich that it practically reads like a novel.
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Read in January, 2008
I have always been scared to perform Moliere. The trap of sing-song was always scary to me. But reading it (and working through my fears) was really enjoyable. The dialogue and reparte is so amusing and I hope to see it on stage soon.
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