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290th out of 515 books
—
1,266 voters
The Misanthrope and Other Plays
by
Molière,
David Coward , John Wood
Molière (1622-73) combined all the traditional elements of comedy—wit, slapstick, spectacle and satire—with a deep understanding of character to create richly sophisticated dramas which have always delighted audiences. Most are built around dangerously deluded and obsessive heroes such as The Would-Be Gentleman and The Misanthrope who threaten to blight the lives of those...more
Paperback, Penguin Classics, 317 pages
Published
September 1st 2000
by Penguin Classics
(first published January 1st 1666)
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Mar 11, 2012
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
Good Reading: 100 Significant Books
Moliere has long been on my to-read list because his comedies were on a list of "100 Significant Books" I was determined to read through. The introduction in one of the books of his plays says that of his "thirty-two comedies... a good third are among the comic masterpieces of world literature." The plays are surprisingly accessible and amusing, even if by and large they strike me as frothy and light compared to comedies by Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Wilde, Shaw and Rostand. But I may be at a di...more
My favorites from most liked to least liked:
1. The Doctor in Spite of Himself (Hilarious, and some of Moliere's best-created and wackiest characters)
2. The Miser (Best story arc of the bunch, I'd say)
3. The Would-Be Gentleman (One of the most humorous, second only to The Doctor in Spite of Himself)
4. The Misanthrope (Definitely his most philosophical)
5. The Imaginary Invalid (I was bored by this play, but loved Toinette's character)
6. The Mischievous Machinations of Scapin (This one bored me, bu...more
1. The Doctor in Spite of Himself (Hilarious, and some of Moliere's best-created and wackiest characters)
2. The Miser (Best story arc of the bunch, I'd say)
3. The Would-Be Gentleman (One of the most humorous, second only to The Doctor in Spite of Himself)
4. The Misanthrope (Definitely his most philosophical)
5. The Imaginary Invalid (I was bored by this play, but loved Toinette's character)
6. The Mischievous Machinations of Scapin (This one bored me, bu...more
I am gearing up for the Chicago Shakespeare Theater's production of "The School for Lies" which is based on "The Misanthrope". I feel excited to see how CST updates this play. The main theme of the play is that one should always tell the truth; however, as we see there are times when telling the truth isn't appropriate to the situation. Alceste, Moiere's comic hero, is trapped by his ideology which makes him brittle around his fellow man. Life is miserable for Alceste because of his rigid belief...more
Originally published on my blog here (with other Molière reviews) in between October 1998 and January 1999.
The Would-Be Gentleman
Molière's delightful exposé of the world of the rich bourgeois aspiring to take a place in upper class society never fails to delight. M. Jourdain is so anxious to fit into that society where he never can; he will always be an outsider there because he is only aping a way of life which the others above him have led from the cradle. He would be better off to imitate the...more
The Would-Be Gentleman
Molière's delightful exposé of the world of the rich bourgeois aspiring to take a place in upper class society never fails to delight. M. Jourdain is so anxious to fit into that society where he never can; he will always be an outsider there because he is only aping a way of life which the others above him have led from the cradle. He would be better off to imitate the...more
response for the play The Doctor in Spite of Himself
I think it’s so much easier to believe something when people tell you it’s true. We can easily believe something that’s essentially good, something we want. We’re hesitant to believe bad things, but when it’s something really amazing (especially when it improves things for us/you) we trust that person immediately.
I think Sganarelle and Martine have a really bad relationship (obviously), so he wouldn’t trust her at all if she told him something...more
I think it’s so much easier to believe something when people tell you it’s true. We can easily believe something that’s essentially good, something we want. We’re hesitant to believe bad things, but when it’s something really amazing (especially when it improves things for us/you) we trust that person immediately.
I think Sganarelle and Martine have a really bad relationship (obviously), so he wouldn’t trust her at all if she told him something...more
I've been reading these plays here and there for over a year now and finally finished the last one. Overall, I'd say "The Misanthrope" was the wittiest--the examples of hypocrisy are perfect, and I don't know how anyone could read it without finding something that sounds a little too familiar (I'm certainly guilty). While that play may have had the cleverest word play, the two funniest plays were "The Doctor Despite Himself" and "The Would-Be Gentleman;" both are slapstick comedies that I'm sure...more
I read this in college in the French but it's much easier in English! I love the rhymed couplets. It's a little sing song but it's fun.
Unfortunately I understand misanthropy much better than I did 40 years ago. It's cute and funny but has a lot of sting and truth in it.
Unfortunately I understand misanthropy much better than I did 40 years ago. It's cute and funny but has a lot of sting and truth in it.
Jan 31, 2013
Anne Nikoline
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone sophisticated
Recommended to Anne Nikoline by:
university class
I only read The Misanthrope by Molière and not his other plays for a class of mine, and happened to enjoy it a lot. Basically it is a sophisticated comic drama that satirizes the hypocrisies of French aristocratic society. What really surprised me, even though I read this in Danish, is the rhythm. The ping-pong between the characters is very well created and adds a magnificent flow to the play that carries on the reader to the very end. Even though this is my very first Molière, it really demons...more
I only read The Misanthrope out of this collection, as that is the greatest of Moliere's works. For something written over 300 years ago, it was enjoyably translated. It is written in rhyme and in the form of a play, so reading it was a bit different for me.
Why has it taken me 27 years to get around to reading Moliere? Perhaps, the first memorable reference to Moliere from "The Breakfast Club" seemed too highbrow. But, what does an 11 year old know?
"The Misanthrope" is still funny 350 years later, although the translation feels a bit dry. If only I had the chops to read it in French! Perhaps, that is why the first Act seemed to drag, after which the pacing picks up. I picked up the play in preparation for "The School for Lies" at Chicago Shakespear...more
"The Misanthrope" is still funny 350 years later, although the translation feels a bit dry. If only I had the chops to read it in French! Perhaps, that is why the first Act seemed to drag, after which the pacing picks up. I picked up the play in preparation for "The School for Lies" at Chicago Shakespear...more
Apr 28, 2009
Rebecca
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
the-classics,
books-i-own
The play 'The Misanthrope' itself wasn't that great but the other were funny. The story of the misanthrope is a guy who ends up going into the wild to live with the wolves despite the fact they might eat him because mankind is nothing but a pack of wolves itself except they hide the fact they're tearing chunks out of your flesh.
My personal favourite was 'A Doctor in spite of Himself' where a wife tells a nobleman's servant that her husband is a great doctor but he must be beaten in order to admi...more
My personal favourite was 'A Doctor in spite of Himself' where a wife tells a nobleman's servant that her husband is a great doctor but he must be beaten in order to admi...more
Jan 03, 2008
Mark
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who loves theatrical humor
Shelves:
fun-and-play
Dry wit and puns... humor at its best for me! I have loved the works of Moliere since I was twelve. The French originals and the English translations each emphasize different styles of humor with hilarity. In this, the English edition, Moliere's dry wit and pithy sarcasm translate with a very contemporary feel, and his digs at elitism and incompetence are quite timely. If you have the chance, reading the original French text is definitely worthwhile as well. The subtle garishness (that makes sen...more
only "The Doctor Despite Himself" was really funny.
An interesting look at the church of the time.
Just reread the Morris Bishop translation -- a little stiff but fine. (I feel lazy to be rereading it in English, though it's wickedly good in any language.)
It's been years since I'd read it, and I'd rewritten the ending in my mind. The wonderful update that Central Works in Berkeley is putting on has rewritten the ending too, and in just the same way, so perhaps there's a case to be made for the implied arc versus the actual arc of the play.
It's been years since I'd read it, and I'd rewritten the ending in my mind. The wonderful update that Central Works in Berkeley is putting on has rewritten the ending too, and in just the same way, so perhaps there's a case to be made for the implied arc versus the actual arc of the play.
I always hear people downplay farce, but I just can't agree with that when I read farces like these. These are hysterical with marvelously developed story lines and characters. Beyond that, these farces laughingly deliver extremely sharp insights into what it is to be human. After all, we are laughable creatures. It is only with humorous absurdity that we can truly be understood. These plays are wonderfully written.
I've read three of the plays in this collection ("The Would-be Gentleman," "The Doctor in Spite of Himself," and "The Mischievous Machinations of Scapin"), and I'm saving the rest for later. Wonderful comedies of the mistaken-identity, buffoon at the center, true love gets its day type. Some scenes still made me laugh out loud over 300 years after they were written.
Wonder if The Misanthrope's Alceste and Philinte inspired Austen's characters Darcy and Bingley... Though Darcy evolves more than Alceste.
Jan 08, 2008
Adam J. M. Eagleton
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who is interested in great classic literature.
Moliere is one of my favourite writers, and this collection demonstrates his incredible skills as a playwright.
I prefer the verse translations, but a good introduction of Moliere's work
May 22, 2013
Robert Tucker
marked it as to-read
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Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known by his stage name, Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Among Molière's best-known dramas are Le Misanthrope, (The Misanthrope), L'Ecole des femmes (The School for Wives), Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur, (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite), L'Avare ou l'École du mensonge (The Miser), Le Malade...more
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Dec 05, 2012 12:32pm