Oeuvres, Volume 2...

by François Rabelais, Charles Esmangart, Eloi Johanneau

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412 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2012

About the author

French humanist François Rabelais wrote satirical attacks, most notably Pantagruel (1532) and Gargantua (1534), on medieval scholasticism and superstition.

People historically regarded this major Renaissance doctor of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes, and songs. Considered of the great of world literature, he created modern Europe. He also published under the names Alcofribas Nasier and Séraphin Calobarsy.

François Rabelais était un des grand écrivains de la Renaissance française, médecin et humaniste. Il a toujours été considéré comme un écrivain de fantaisie, de satire, de grotesque et à la fois de blagues et de chansons de débauche. Rabelais est considéré comme l'un des grands écrivains de la littérature mondiale et parmi les créateurs de l'écriture européenne moderne. Il a également publié sous les noms Alcofribas Nasier et Séraphin Calobarsy.

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humbling, astonishing, disjunctive anatomies, lists and quasi-Joycean catalogues: BAN IT! And of course, Rabelais early on made the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Now in the American Time of the Fatso, including a fat President, we should un-ban the fattest main character in literature, Pantegruel the Ventripotent.
I have taught passages from the first three books in "World Lit" sophomore survey courses, but I find only Books Four & Five on my shelf, plus various additions like a letter to Erasmus (my favorite Latin instructor, and Bible translator), dedicatory epistles to the aphorisms of Hippocrates, and especially the Pantegrueline Prognostication infallible for the perpetual year--i.e., every year.
As for lists, consider the many sacrifices and offerings to the paunchy big-eater Pantegruel; the offerings are usually food, like the two page list in 4.LX: Pantegruel is called the Ventripotent, his admirers, "gastrolastres," stomach-admirers. Here's a bit of the list: Caviar, Beurre frays, Purees de poys, Arans sors (herrings), Sardaines, Anchoys, Tonnine, Caules emb'olif, Sallades cent diversitez, de champignons, etc. (220)
Happily, there are many wonderful passages in this last book, including the Bottle late in the work, Ch 44 & 45. Bacbuc presents Panurge before the Bouteille: Words printed in the shape of a bottle, "O Bottle, Full of mystery, You approach to my ear and my heart, you offer the divine word of Bacchus, who conquered India. You reveal all lies and deceptions, as a Noah's Arc…. I listen to you with my mouth."(451)
In the next chapter Bacchus glosses this: "The philosophers of the world pour words into your ears; we enter directly through the jaws, by mouth."
Rabelais drew his "Pantegrueline Prognostication" from a couple Latin prophecies for the year: Ringelberg the year earlier (1531) wrote that the deaf will hear poorly, and behold strife between dogs and rabbits, fishermen and fish. I translated and adapted Rabelais for the Jan 1 birthday of my musician-engineer friend in 1982.
"Astrological Forecast"

This year, the fashionable woman wears
her face in front, her behind behind;
this year hats will be worn on heads
primarily, while pussies will be black
for the most part. Numerous virgins
will lose something, due to Venus
and a full moon; and litigious men
will find lawyers to press their claim.
I foresee…the rich will fare some better than
the poor; the healthy, still better yet
than the myriad of sick--
But Oh! I see great slaughter
among beef, pork and chicken.
Nothing will abate their killer's appetite.
And, sad to report, I fear great strife
between dog and cat, man and wife;
between the skinny and the fat;
between Arab and Jew, Greek and Turk;
between the blond-haired, and the black.
But cheer up. This year will see
wealth increase, and this will be
among those who have no need of it.
We predict a fiscal surplus such
that the governmnet will have to overpay
many, to come out even; some, twice
they'll pay and dub them double-dippers.
Likewise, we expect to see
a decrease of coin among the needy.
There will be, in sum, floods,
fires, wars, flus, and hatred,
vengeance, sensational crimes;
old age will prove fatal to many,
but rashness will kill more young than old.
This year, the influence preponderent
will be the U.S. government,
even if there's partial ecclipse.
Listen, keep with this one list;
don't believe any half-assed futurist.
And finally, I most predict,
all other forecasts aren't worth shit.