Enter Rabelais, laughing
By: Barbara C. Bowen.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Vanderbilt University Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Nashville
Language: eng
Number of pages: 230
Subjects: Rabelais, François, ca. 1490-1553? -- Criticism and interpretation; Comic, The, in literature
Description: Francois Rabelais (1483?-1553) is a difficult and often misunderstood author, whose reputation for coarse "Rabelaisian" jesting and "Gargantuan" indulgence in food, drink, and sex is highly misleading. He was in fact a committed humanist who expressed strong views on religion, good government, education, and much more through the mock-heroic adventures of his giants.

While most books about Rabelais have relatively little to say about his comedic genius, Enter Rabelais, Laughing analyses the many sides of Rabelais's humor, focusing on why his writing was so hilariously funny to sixteenth-century readers.

On a broad level, Enter Rabelais, Laughing serves as an introduction to French Renaissance literature and exhibits a lucid writing style, free of jargon. To Rabelais scholars in particular it offers a thorough and innovative analysis that corrects misconceptions and questions commonly held views.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 202-221) and index.
Table of contents: title: Prologue; title: How rabelaisian is Rabelais?; title: Laugh, and the world laughs with you; title: French literary laughter; title: Rire est le propre de l'homme; title: Laughing Rabelais; title: 'Literary' genres; title: Epic and mock-epic laughter; title: Laughter stage; title: From humanism to trivial pursuit; title: Humanist facetiae; title: Reformation satire; title: The library of Saint-Victor; title: Rabelais and rhetoric; title: Panurge orator: The Parisian lady; title: Panurge orator: The praise of debts; title: Doctor Rabelais; title: Therapeutic laughter; title: Comic diet; title: Law and medicine; title: Roman and canon law; title: Rabelais and law; title: Bridoye; title: Envoi; title: Appendix; title: Appendix; title: Endnotes; title: Bibliography.