The Misanthrope (Dover Thrift Editions: Plays)

Zounds! These humans! (rolling eyes)“To be open and candid is my chief talent; I possess not the art of deceiving people in conversation; and he who has not the gift of concealing his thoughts, ought not to stay long in those places.”Alceste, our hero in Moliere’s drama The Misanthrope, sees all society marred with hypocrites and frauds. Moliere’s play touches on prevalent issues in society: friendship, manners, love, romanced, loyalty, jealousy, etc.This was a case where I liked the idea behind the play more than the actual method of delivery. I thought the initial joke was clever for a while, but said cleverness and enthusiasm dissolved and waned increasingly as we progressed through each subsequent act. It felt the “joke” had overstayed its welcome, akin to a comedy sketch that drags for too long. That being said, I liked some early portions of the play, when the humor is fresh.And there are some humorous and witty little exchanges. One of them occurs when Oronte asks Alceste to be critic for a poem he has composed. Here is a snippet:Oronte: I do not know whether the style will strike you as sufficiently clear and easy, and whether you will approve of my choice of words.Alceste: We shall soon see, sir.Oronte: Besides, you must know that I was only a quarter of an hour in composing it.Alceste: Let us hear, sir; the time signifies nothing.…Oronte: I would like much to see you compose some on the same subject; just to have a sample of your style.Alceste: I might, perchance, make some as bad; but I should take good care to show them to anyone.Overall, however, events and dialogue get quite muddled and convoluted. Although the play is rather brief in length, it feels like quite a bit of it drags and stalls. I think maybe a stage production of this play would be an excellent visual and perhaps give more context to its content and the overall experience.In total, The Misanthrope has some charm and some clever moments here and there, but I think you could look elsewhere if you are looking for an effective satire or comedy of manners.

Moliere may be best known for his satirical wit. Most of his plays were comedies when not out and out farces.But there is a serious side to Moliere as well. Beneath all the buffoonery is a keen observer of the human condition who criticized everything he saw which inhibited happiness.A common thread then runs through Tartuffe, the Misanthrope and Those Learned Ladies. Affectation, taking yourself too seriously, pedantry, hypocrisy...all of these are not so much moral vices as serious impediments to the good life. In my reading, Moliere believes this good life is attainable within the human condition if so many fools, hypocrites and prudes didn’t do their best to squelch it at every opportunity.So while you can read Moliere merely for his humor, you can also read him for his unforgettable portraits of the misanthrope, religious hypocrite and the pedant. In other words, satires which have all too much bearing, not only on classical France, but on the world of today. Highly recommended to all.

Pros:SuccinctInteresting characterizationCon:You must actively read to understand the text, for in very few pages a decent amount occursIf you do not like the writing style of classics, character driven rather than plot driven and high sounding language, you will not have an affinity for his play.

After reading The Misanthrope, I find myself agreeing with the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau claimed in his Letter to M. D'Alembert that it was Molière's best work, but hated that it made Alceste the butt of its humour. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as I, believe the audience should support Alceste's high ideals rather than laugh at his misadventures.

"I will fly from an abyss where vice is triumphant, and seek out some small secluded noon on earth, where one may enjoy the freedom of being an honest man."Written in 1666, this play is still so pertinent. The characters' idiosyncrasies and the hypocrisy in society are as relatable in today's time as they must have been in the times of Moliere.

[This review is for the Dover Thrift Edition, based on the 1876 Henri Van Laun translation.]Whenever one comes across comedy from a century or more ago, the "comedy" part seems lost as it belongs too, much to a different era.Not so with Moliere's "The Misanthrope". Although written some 350 years ago, it is a funny and clever today as ever (actually, much cleverer today, given the state of today's comedy in comparison).The key is that the characters and situations presented are as common today as in 17th century France. The hypocrites, the sycophants, the two-faced, the flirts, and ofcourse the perpetually morally outraged.It is a rather short play, but immensely funny and well worth the read (the exchange between Alceste and Orontes on the latter's sonnet are hilarious!).

This is the second Moliere play I've read, the first being Tartuffe. I enjoyed this one more. I must say, there are some things about a so-called misanthrope that somewhat resonate with me, but running one's mouth openly criticizing others is not one of them. I enjoyed this play, and will probably read it again someday.

Let me come home now. Please? I'm done thinking about work right now. I need you. But not like this. I want you the right way. Which is left?

This play by Molière is a comedy. Unfortunately, I wasn't laughing.Alceste dislikes the shallow behaviour of his friends. They flatter and compliment others to their faces then once they are gone, they tear them apart. The characters are brutal. I am glad they are not in my circle of friends. Worse still the woman he loves is the nastiest of them all. His friend thinks the irony of this is funny.I acknowledge the humour but I didn't laugh. I did struggle. After reading the play I watched the performance on you tube but still it did nothing for me. I agree with Alceste about how 2 faced people can be. It’s all about self-preservation. The key message here is not to take people at face value and look deeper.I liked that the play was all done in rhyme, clever but only 3 stars from me.

The contents page doesn't work on Kindle. Rendering the product totally useless.

This is a handy edition of Moliere's amusing but rather slight work

really enjoyed this collection although the themes are a little repetitive, good introduction and supporting notes providing historical context. Humorous stuff.

Great book