La Fontaine
Subtitle: 1621-1695, une école buissonnière
By: Erik Orsenna, de l'Académie française
Publisher: Stock; France Inter
Published: 2017
Language: fre
Number of pages: 206
ISBN-13: 9782234082489
Subjects: French Authors; Biography
Description: What do we know about Jean de La Fontaine, probably the greatest poet of the French language? With his talent as a storyteller and his joyous erudition, Erik Orsenna invites us all summer on France Inter to play truant with La Fontaine. Through his trip to Versailles and Château-Thierry, he paints a portrait of a La Fontaine libre or rebellious, faithful friend, bad husband, accumulating money and political quarrels, support of Fouquet, enemy of Colbert, loving life and "nice bodice" women. Master of water and forests and author of more than 300 writings, this nonchalant man masked a hard worker who loved the Parisian follies as much as his retirement in the countryside and who, while instructing the Grand Dauphin by his fables, defied the Court by his libertine tales.
Notes: This book gave rise to a series of programs broadcasted on France Inter, summer 2017.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-[207]).