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Fables of Aesop According to Sir Roger L'Estrange, with Fifty Drawings by Alexander Calder
This Dover volume brings into general circulation for the first time a rare edition of Aesop's Fables issued in Paris in 1931 and limited to only 665 copies. The book combines the 1692 translation of the Fables by English journalist Sir Roger L'Estrange with 50 drawings created especially as illustration for the tales by American sculptor, painter, and illustrator Alexander Calder.
L'Estrange's 17th-century rendering of the fables is a delight to read, judged by The Cambridge History of English Literature "the best that we have." Calder's art needs no special introduction: his widely displayed "mobiles" and "stabiles" have won him international popularity. The drawings Calder executed for this book rank among his most imaginative creations.
Two hundred and one of the traditional fables are narrated here, including such all-time favorites as "A Hare and a Tortoise," "A Fox and Grapes," "A Lyoness and a Fox," "A City Mouse and a Country Mouse," "A Swallow and a Crow," and "A Fox and a Raven." An entertaining volume for general readers, prized by literature students and art lovers alike, this is a book that should appeal to practically everybody.
L'Estrange's 17th-century rendering of the fables is a delight to read, judged by The Cambridge History of English Literature "the best that we have." Calder's art needs no special introduction: his widely displayed "mobiles" and "stabiles" have won him international popularity. The drawings Calder executed for this book rank among his most imaginative creations.
Two hundred and one of the traditional fables are narrated here, including such all-time favorites as "A Hare and a Tortoise," "A Fox and Grapes," "A Lyoness and a Fox," "A City Mouse and a Country Mouse," "A Swallow and a Crow," and "A Fox and a Raven." An entertaining volume for general readers, prized by literature students and art lovers alike, this is a book that should appeal to practically everybody.
128 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 1967
About the author
Aesop
2,285 books1,222 followersTradition considers Greek fabulist Aesop (620 BC - 564 BC) as the author of
Aesop's Fables
, including "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Fox and the Grapes."
This credited ancient man told numerous now collectively known stories. None of his writings, if they ever existed, survive; despite his uncertain existence, people gathered and credited numerous tales across the centuries in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Generally human characteristics of animals and inanimate objects that speak and solve problems characterize many of the tales.
One can find scattered details of his life in ancient sources, including Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch. An ancient literary work, called The Aesop Romance tells an episodic, probably highly fictional version of his life, including the traditional description of him as a strikingly ugly slave (δοῦλος), whose cleverness acquires him freedom as an adviser to kings and city-states. Older spellings of his name included Esop(e) and Isope. A later tradition, dating from the Middle Ages, depicts Aesop as a black Ethiopian. Depictions of Aesop in popular culture over the last two and a half millennia included several works of art and his appearance as a character in numerous books, films, plays, and television programs.
Abandoning the perennial image of Aesop as an ugly slave, the movie Night in Paradise (1946) cast Turhan Bey in the role, depicting Aesop as an advisor to Croesus, king; Aesop falls in love with a Persian princess, the intended bride of the king, whom Merle Oberon plays. Lamont Johnson also plays Aesop the Helene Hanff teleplay Aesop and Rhodope (1953), broadcast on hallmark hall of fame.
Brazilian dramatist Guilherme Figueiredo published A raposa e as uvas ("The Fox and the Grapes"), a play in three acts about the life of Aesop, in 1953; in many countries, people performed this play, including a videotaped production in China in 2000 under the title Hu li yu pu tao or 狐狸与葡萄 .
Beginning in 1959, animated shorts under the title Aesop and Son recurred as a segment in the television series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, its successor. People abandoned the image of Aesop as ugly slave; Charles Ruggles voiced Aesop, a Greek citizen, who recounted for the edification of his son, Aesop Jr., who then delivered the moral in the form of an atrocious pun. In 1998, Robert Keeshan voiced him, who amounted to little more than a cameo in the episode "Hercules and the Kids" in the animated television series Hercules.
In 1971, Bill Cosby played him in the television production Aesop's Fables.
British playwright Peter Terson first produced the musical Aesop's Fables in 1983. In 2010, Mhlekahi Mosiea as Aesop staged the play at the Fugard theatre in Cape Town, South Africa.
This credited ancient man told numerous now collectively known stories. None of his writings, if they ever existed, survive; despite his uncertain existence, people gathered and credited numerous tales across the centuries in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Generally human characteristics of animals and inanimate objects that speak and solve problems characterize many of the tales.
One can find scattered details of his life in ancient sources, including Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch. An ancient literary work, called The Aesop Romance tells an episodic, probably highly fictional version of his life, including the traditional description of him as a strikingly ugly slave (δοῦλος), whose cleverness acquires him freedom as an adviser to kings and city-states. Older spellings of his name included Esop(e) and Isope. A later tradition, dating from the Middle Ages, depicts Aesop as a black Ethiopian. Depictions of Aesop in popular culture over the last two and a half millennia included several works of art and his appearance as a character in numerous books, films, plays, and television programs.
Abandoning the perennial image of Aesop as an ugly slave, the movie Night in Paradise (1946) cast Turhan Bey in the role, depicting Aesop as an advisor to Croesus, king; Aesop falls in love with a Persian princess, the intended bride of the king, whom Merle Oberon plays. Lamont Johnson also plays Aesop the Helene Hanff teleplay Aesop and Rhodope (1953), broadcast on hallmark hall of fame.
Brazilian dramatist Guilherme Figueiredo published A raposa e as uvas ("The Fox and the Grapes"), a play in three acts about the life of Aesop, in 1953; in many countries, people performed this play, including a videotaped production in China in 2000 under the title Hu li yu pu tao or 狐狸与葡萄 .
Beginning in 1959, animated shorts under the title Aesop and Son recurred as a segment in the television series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, its successor. People abandoned the image of Aesop as ugly slave; Charles Ruggles voiced Aesop, a Greek citizen, who recounted for the edification of his son, Aesop Jr., who then delivered the moral in the form of an atrocious pun. In 1998, Robert Keeshan voiced him, who amounted to little more than a cameo in the episode "Hercules and the Kids" in the animated television series Hercules.
In 1971, Bill Cosby played him in the television production Aesop's Fables.
British playwright Peter Terson first produced the musical Aesop's Fables in 1983. In 2010, Mhlekahi Mosiea as Aesop staged the play at the Fugard theatre in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 4, 2017
Wonderful book that will bring back fond memories to many. A couple years ago it hit me: how many cartoons are based on the fables of Aesop! You see it in so many Warner Brother cartoons - so many times Bugs Bunny plays the part of the protagonist in some revamping of a tale (or amalgamation of several tales).
May 27, 2014
I often thought of Aesop’s Fables as children’s stories. But like the original Grimm fairy tales, they are far from that. These tales are dark and violent, and display an astonishing level of cynicism, cruelty and violence.
In these tales, human (and animal) nature is fixed, and life, to a large extent, is deterministic. We are allotted our fate and our place, and it is up to us to accept it. Striving to be more than you are is a fool’s errand, as well as unnatural.
Plus, everyone is out to benefit themselves at the cost of others. And although no dogs eat dogs in these tales, it’s that kind of world. This is made all the more apparent by the morals L’Estrange added. Although the tales precede Jesus, L’Estrange mentions Christian ethics several times in the morals, but always with a “but” …
This version by L’Estrange is a delight to read. The oddity of late 17th century English, plus L’Estrange’s own peculiarities fill what could be a dry, mundane text with unexpected verve and just plain weirdness.
To pick one fable at random:
“A numerous issue passes in the world for a blessing; and this consideration made a fox cast it in the teeth of a lyoness, that she brought forth but one whelp at a time. Very right, says the other, but then that one is a lyon.” (A Lyoness and a Fox, page 23)
I love this moral from the fable An Old Man and a Lyon (page 56):
“A body may as well lay too little as too much stress upon a dreame; for some dreames are monitory, as others are only complexional: but upon the main, the less we heed them the better; for when that freake has once taken possession of a fantastical head, the distemper is incurable."[emphasis mine]
I love that last part. And here is L'Estrange's take on the moral from the boy who cried wolf (A Boy and False Alarums, page 83)
“He must be a very wise man that knows the true bounds and measures of fooling, with a respect to time, place, matters, persons, Etc. But religion, bus’ness and cares of consequence must be excepted out of that sort of liberty.”
Overall, this was a great pleasure to read. The artwork is erotic and evocative (though the style is not to my particular taste). I highly recommend this version of Aesop’s Fables for consenting adults.
In these tales, human (and animal) nature is fixed, and life, to a large extent, is deterministic. We are allotted our fate and our place, and it is up to us to accept it. Striving to be more than you are is a fool’s errand, as well as unnatural.
Plus, everyone is out to benefit themselves at the cost of others. And although no dogs eat dogs in these tales, it’s that kind of world. This is made all the more apparent by the morals L’Estrange added. Although the tales precede Jesus, L’Estrange mentions Christian ethics several times in the morals, but always with a “but” …
It is a charitable and a Christian office to relieve the poor and the distressed; but …On the positive side, freedom is valued above all things. (But that is freedom as opposed to slavery – so it’s not freedom of religion, expression, etc.)
Christian charity, ’tis true, bids us return good for evil; but ….
This version by L’Estrange is a delight to read. The oddity of late 17th century English, plus L’Estrange’s own peculiarities fill what could be a dry, mundane text with unexpected verve and just plain weirdness.
To pick one fable at random:
“A numerous issue passes in the world for a blessing; and this consideration made a fox cast it in the teeth of a lyoness, that she brought forth but one whelp at a time. Very right, says the other, but then that one is a lyon.” (A Lyoness and a Fox, page 23)
I love this moral from the fable An Old Man and a Lyon (page 56):
“A body may as well lay too little as too much stress upon a dreame; for some dreames are monitory, as others are only complexional: but upon the main, the less we heed them the better; for when that freake has once taken possession of a fantastical head, the distemper is incurable."[emphasis mine]
I love that last part. And here is L'Estrange's take on the moral from the boy who cried wolf (A Boy and False Alarums, page 83)
“He must be a very wise man that knows the true bounds and measures of fooling, with a respect to time, place, matters, persons, Etc. But religion, bus’ness and cares of consequence must be excepted out of that sort of liberty.”
Overall, this was a great pleasure to read. The artwork is erotic and evocative (though the style is not to my particular taste). I highly recommend this version of Aesop’s Fables for consenting adults.
July 2, 2018
Hay muchas cosas que decir de este libro. Vayamos en orden:
1°. Es Esopo. Como autor creador de un género literario (la fábula) es deslumbrante. Prácticamente todo lo que viene después de él en Occidente ya está en sus textos. Es un autor que hay que leer y releer por su agudeza, concisión y perspicacia, en muchas versiones y (si es posible) en alguna de las versiones duales (griego-español) que hay en línea.
2°. La versión inglesa de Sir Roger L'Estrange de 1692 es, de acuerdo con The Cambridge History of English Literature, "la mejor que existe" y sí, es una delicia de lectura: si bien se toma unas cuantas licencias poéticas al identificar la caridad, el pudor y el bien con sus homólogos cristianos; su uso del inglés es fuerte y vigoroso, cuando se requiere, así como dulce y tierno.
3°. Los dibujos que acompañan a estas 201 fábulas son de Alexander Calder. No creo que exista una versión con ilustraciones más creativas y originales que las de Calder: son dibujos hechos con prácticamente solo UN trazo, de una sencillez y belleza deslumbrantes.
4°. La edición es Dover. ¿Existe alguna otra editorial que te dé tanto a un precio tan bajo? Cuando compré este libro (en Washington D.C.) me costó USD 6.95 (que debieron ser como MXN 78 del gobierno de Fox).
En todos los aspectos, este libro vale cada céntimo que pagué por él. Imperdible.
1°. Es Esopo. Como autor creador de un género literario (la fábula) es deslumbrante. Prácticamente todo lo que viene después de él en Occidente ya está en sus textos. Es un autor que hay que leer y releer por su agudeza, concisión y perspicacia, en muchas versiones y (si es posible) en alguna de las versiones duales (griego-español) que hay en línea.
2°. La versión inglesa de Sir Roger L'Estrange de 1692 es, de acuerdo con The Cambridge History of English Literature, "la mejor que existe" y sí, es una delicia de lectura: si bien se toma unas cuantas licencias poéticas al identificar la caridad, el pudor y el bien con sus homólogos cristianos; su uso del inglés es fuerte y vigoroso, cuando se requiere, así como dulce y tierno.
3°. Los dibujos que acompañan a estas 201 fábulas son de Alexander Calder. No creo que exista una versión con ilustraciones más creativas y originales que las de Calder: son dibujos hechos con prácticamente solo UN trazo, de una sencillez y belleza deslumbrantes.
4°. La edición es Dover. ¿Existe alguna otra editorial que te dé tanto a un precio tan bajo? Cuando compré este libro (en Washington D.C.) me costó USD 6.95 (que debieron ser como MXN 78 del gobierno de Fox).
En todos los aspectos, este libro vale cada céntimo que pagué por él. Imperdible.
May 8, 2013
This is not a child's version of the familiar Aesop's fables. Some of the drawings border on the erotic, but are tasteful and are artistic. This book is an education- who knew there was an Aesop fable about the warnings of a man having two wives?
October 31, 2017
This was the only adult version of Aesop's fables available in the Queens Library system, I am assuming that L'Estrange based his versions on Latin translations since he uses Roman names for the Gods. A few of the morals L'Estrange draws are also shaped by Christian values that Aesop would not have been aware of, even if his morals may have been the same.. Nonetheless,The fables are intriguing and quite rich given their length thanks in large part to the ready characterization provided by the various animals used. In the future, not a book I would want to read again cover to cover, but it was also good to be exposed to the many tales that have not become part of the children's literature canon.
September 23, 2018
An adult version of the classic Aesop's Fables written in 1600s Old English. This collection are all small stories with a clear moral directly following the story. The drawings are a nice treat and intricately drawn using only one or a few lines on the page. A nice nostalgic romp for the adult fable lover.
September 4, 2015
Um, er, not my favorite book on planet earth. Writing is a bit too simplistic for my taste, but it was good to find a simple retelling of some truly classic tales.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews