Tartuffe

by Moliere

Overview

Teeming with lively humor and satirical plot devices, this timeless comedy by one of France's greatest playwrights follows the outrageous activities of a penniless scoundrel and religious pretender. Invited to live in his benefactor's house, he wreaks havoc among family members by breaking off the daughter's engagement, attempting to seduce his hostess, and resorting to blackmail and extortion. Essential reading for students of theater and literature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619491755
Publisher:	Empire Books
Publication date:	12/23/2011
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	98
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.20(d)

About the Author

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Molière (1622-73), the French actor-manager and dramatist, was one of the theatre's greatest comic classics. Inspired by traditions of French farce and the 'commedia dell'arte', he courted controversy with his satiric commentaries on the society of his time and on eternal human foibles, but was saved by the patronage of the 'Sun King' Louis XIV.

ChrisCampbell read English and French at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He is currently the Literary Manager at the Royal Court Theatre. Christopher has worked as an actor in Canada, France and Belgium, as well as here in the UK.

What People are Saying About This

Florent Masse

This dynamic new translation of Tartuffe conveys the subject matter of Molière's perennial masterpiece in a way that resonates for contemporary audiences. Prudence Steiner has modernized and revitalized the text, making its burning and scandalous tone stand out, as it does in the original French. The thorough introduction to the play skillfully invites the reader into the dark and controversial world of Tartuffe. (Florent Masse, Princeton University)

Jim Carmody

The new Steiner Tartuffe offers welcome relief from all the rhymed translations that make Molière sound like a third-rate Restoration poet while creating the (false) impression that verbal dexterity and wit trump all other values in the great comic playwright's dramaturgy. Steiner's crisp, lucid prose - her adroitly balanced sentences are especially effective at conveying the slippery rhetoric of Tartuffe's seductions - unfolds the plot and characters of Molière's play with an unaccustomed clarity, presenting the ideological clashes of the play with a bluntness many other translations attenuate. Roger Herzel's Introduction is well-focused for those encountering Molière for the first time and informed throughout by his own excellent scholarship. (Jim Carmody, University of California, San Diego)

Editorial Reviews

...a rollicking evening of grace and fun.

NY Newsday

...an astonishingly delightful romp...

NY Post

Stylish, bright, saucy.

NY Journal-American

The new Steiner Tartuffe offers welcome relief from all the rhymed translations that make Moliere sound like a third-rate Restoration poet while creating the (false) impression that verbal dexterity and wit trump all other values in the great comic playwright's dramaturgy. Steiner's crisp, lucid prose—her adroitly balanced sentences are especially effective at conveying the slippery rhetoric of Tartuffe's seductions—unfolds the plot and characters of Moliere's play with an unaccustomed clarity, presenting the ideological clashes of the play with a bluntness many other translations attenuate. Roger Herzel's Introduction is well-focused for those encountering Molière for the first time and informed throughout by his own excellent scholarship. --Jim Carmody, University of California, San Diego

This dynamic new translation of Tartuffe conveys the subject matter of Moliere's perennial masterpiece in a way that resonates for contemporary audiences. Prudence Steiner has modernized and revitalized the text, making its burning and scandalous tone stand out, as it does in the original French. The thorough introduction to the play skillfully invites the reader into the dark and controversial world of Tartuffe. --Florent Masse, Princeton University

This translation is a welcome relief from the ungainly verse translations of Tartuffe that dominate the field. The introduction by Prof. Herzel is detailed, scholarly, and readable, and the translation of the play is stageable, therefore a good one to teach theatre students. --Dr. Rosemarie Bank, Kent State University

From the Publisher

This is an audio recording of a live stage performance of Pulitzer Prize winner Wilbur's celebrated translation of one of Molière's most popular plays, a 1664 social satire exposing hypocrisy in the Catholic Church. Timing proves to be the cornerstone of this successful production as Brian Bedford, John de Lancie, Martin Jarvis, Alex Kingston, and seven other talented actors keep a steady and believable rhythm throughout their performances, responding to one another with just the right comedic timing. A fantastic listen recommended for those who enjoy full-cast productions, audio dramas, and classic satire. [See Publisher Spotlight, p. 76.—Ed.]—Lance Eaton, Peabody, MA

Library Journal