The Misanthrope in Never too Late to Read Classics

Jul 03, 2022 Chrissie rated it liked it

Shelves: paris, classics, france, shorts, audible-uk, poetry, 2022-read, humor, relationships, drama

I have listened to Audible.uk’s L.A. Theater Works production of Molière’s play The Misanthrope.

My goal at GR has always been to separate my rating of a written work’s text from its audio performance. I rate each separately. I will attempt to explain what exactly I have enjoyed and what I have disliked.

Listening and not seeing a work written for the theater is in my view never as good as seeing a play on stage. Half of the input is lost. This immediately puts an audio performance at a disadvanta I have listened to Audible.uk’s L.A. Theater Works production of Molière’s play The Misanthrope.

My goal at GR has always been to separate my rating of a written work’s text from its audio performance. I rate each separately. I will attempt to explain what exactly I have enjoyed and what I have disliked.

Listening and not seeing a work written for the theater is in my view never as good as seeing a play on stage. Half of the input is lost. This immediately puts an audio performance at a disadvantage. I do not like the performance in this audiobook, although the narrator of the central character, he who plays the “misanthrope” and is named Alceste, is quite good. He is narrated by Brian Bedford. Alceste’s friend, Philinte, narrated by Martin Jarvis, I also enjoyed. The other five narrators of the audiobook are not to my liking. Particularly the female narrators annoyed me. Their voices are alternately shrill, weak, inappropriate or unpleasant. I wanted to smother the frequent laughter added to the recording. The music that separates the different scenes is bland. The audiobook narration I have given only one star; the good has not outweighed the bad.

The women’s gossipy banter is meaningless drivel and a drain to listen to. Yes, this is a comedy of manners and a work of satire, but when they open their mouths, I felt compelled to immediately shut off the recording. Their words drove me nuts. Here, it is Molière’s writing that disappointed me. This complaint has nothing to do with the audio narration!

I have enjoyed the lines voiced by Alceste. He is the misanthrope referred to in the title. His lines worked for me but not those of the other characters. Only his lines did I find to be clever. The translator of Molière’s work has here, but only here, done an excellent job of finding just the right words, words that rhyme, pack a punch and make you smile. I don’t quite know whom I am praising—Molière or the translator?! Why do the lines of the other characters fail so deplorably? Who is at fault? I don’t know!

I like that Alceste is in love with a woman whom he logically should despise. Here is a hint of real life! Molière makes, in this way, the character more complex. It gives the reader more to think about.

At the end of the audiobook, the author of The Public Mirror: Molière and the Social Commerce of Depiction, Larry F. Norman from the University of Chicago, speaks. He fills in biographical details and tells us of Molière’s life, occupations and how he was taken under the wing of King Louis XIV at Versailles. We are told that Molière satirized not only the aristocracy but also religious fundamentalism. Never did he satirize the king or his mistresses. He knew who buttered his bread! I very much appreciate how Norman puts Molière’s life and works in an historical context.

I have liked and disliked different aspects of this work. I am glad I gave it a try, despite that drama performances and multiple narrators are usually not my cup of tea. Stretching one’s borders has proved not to be a waste of time. ...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: comedy, audio-books, french-literature, read-2013

From BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3
How to lose friends and infuriate people - a mockery of manners and morals set amid 17th century French aristocracy. Disgusted with French society, where powdered fops gossip in code and bejewelled coquettes whisper behind fans, poet Alceste embarks on a one-man crusade against fakery, frippery and forked tongues. But could the woman he adores be the worst culprit of them all? And in this rarefied world will his revolution prove merely revolting..?