Selected Fables (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780199650729)

La Fontaine's verse fables turned the traditional folktales derived from Aesop and a range of Oriental sources into some of the greatest, and best-loved, poetic works in French. His versions of stories such as The Hare and the Tortoise and The Wolf and the Lamb are witty and sophisticated, satirizing human nature in miniature dramas in which the outcome is always unpredictable. The behavior of both animals and humans is usually centered on deception and cooperation (or the lack of it), as they cheat and fight each other, arguing about life and death, property and food, in an astonishing variety of narrative styles. The fables have long been popular with all ages, though their ironic take on contemporary society in French aristocratic circles is best appreciated by adults.

This new translation by Christopher Betts matches the original in inventiveness and subtlety. It includes half of the fables first published in twelve books between 1668 and 1693, across the full range of subjects and themes. The fables are illustrated with a selection of Gustave Doré's majestic engravings, and an introduction offers insights into La Fontaine's life and literary artistry.

Author: Jean de La Fontaine, Christopher Betts
ISBN-10: 0199650721
ISBN-13: 9780199650729
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Language: English
Published: 05/13/2014
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.01lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.70w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 02/15/2014 pg. 103