Gargantua and Pantagruel, Illustrated, Book 2

by François Rabelais, Peter Anthony Motteux (Translator), Thomas Urquhart (Translator)

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Fiction, Satire, French Literature, Classics

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 12, 2012

About the author

French humanist François Rabelais wrote satirical attacks, most notably Pantagruel (1532) and Gargantua (1534), on medieval scholasticism and superstition.

People historically regarded this major Renaissance doctor of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes, and songs. Considered of the great of world literature, he created modern Europe. He also published under the names Alcofribas Nasier and Séraphin Calobarsy.

François Rabelais était un des grand écrivains de la Renaissance française, médecin et humaniste. Il a toujours été considéré comme un écrivain de fantaisie, de satire, de grotesque et à la fois de blagues et de chansons de débauche. Rabelais est considéré comme l'un des grands écrivains de la littérature mondiale et parmi les créateurs de l'écriture européenne moderne. Il a également publié sous les noms Alcofribas Nasier et Séraphin Calobarsy.

Reviews

[Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the second book, out of five. It's an odd tale, rooted in an overly satirical style, mixed with tall tales, fairly descriptive violence and quite a bit scatological humor. It doesn't have much of a structure, Rabelais seems to be only having some sort of plot to make his character show up in the right places in order for him to satirize something. He dances around with the language, with the characters, with the setting and even the size of Gargantua. A lot of the play on words made a decent showing in English, but I wondered how much better it would be in the original French.

I enjoyed the book for the most part, but wasn't really enamored with it.

[lena]

dsl rabelais je crois que j'ai pas saisi le message

[Zeitwaise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das war zäh.
Aber die Metaphern für Sexuelles sind einfacht enormst kreativ und unterhaltsam in Büchern, die mehr als 400 Jahre alt sind.
Außerdem ist es stellenweise ein beindruckendes Werk des Surrealismus, lang bevor das ein Ding war.

[Jason Canada · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you say to me, Master, it would seem that you were not very wise in writing to us these flimflam stories and pleasant fooleries; I answer you, that you are not much wiser to spend your time in reading them. Nevertheless, if you read them to make yourselves merry, as in manner of pastime I wrote them, you and I both are far more worthy of pardon than a great rabble of squint-minded fellows, dissembling and counterfeit saints, demure lookers, hypocrites, pretended zealots, tough friars, buskin-monks, and other such sects of men, who disguise themselves like masquers to deceive the world. For, whilst they give the common people to understand that they are busied about nothing but contemplation and devotion in fastings and maceration of their sensuality—and that only to sustain and aliment the small frailty of their humanity—it is so far otherwise that, on the contrary, God knows what cheer they make; Et Curios simulant, sed Bacchanalia vivunt. You may read it in great letters in the colouring of their red snouts, and gulching bellies as big as a tun, unless it be when they perfume themselves with sulphur. As for their study, it is wholly taken up in reading of Pantagruelian books, not so much to pass the time merrily as to hurt someone or other mischievously, to wit, in articling, sole-articling, wry-neckifying, buttock-stirring, ballocking, and diabliculating, that is, calumniating. Wherein they are like unto the poor rogues of a village that are busy in stirring up and scraping in the ordure and filth of little children, in the season of cherries and guinds, and that only to find the kernels, that they may sell them to the druggists to make thereof pomander oil. Fly from these men, abhor and hate them as much as I do, and upon my faith you will find yourselves the better for it. And if you desire to be good Pantagruelists, that is to say, to live in peace, joy, health, making yourselves always merry, never trust those men that always peep out at one hole.
End of Book II.

[ლუკა წიქორია · Rating 3 out of 5]

მომეწონა მეორე ნაწილი. სასაცილოც იყო და პირველ ნაწილთან შედარებით - საინტერესო.

წიგნის გასაგებად ეპოქის კარგად ცოდნა არის აუცილებელი, თორემ ისე მაქსიმუმ იმას მიხვდე, რომ თავისი ეპოქის საზოგადოებას და ქრისტიან ბერებს და ზოგადად ეკლესიის მაღალჩინოსნებს დასცინის.

ეს პანტაგრუელი მამამისისგან განსხვავებით ჭკვიანია და ასევე საკმაოდ კარგი განათლება აქვს მიღებული. ჰოდა, დავფიქრდი აქ მამამისში ძველი ეპოქა ხომ არ იგულისხმება,ანუ წინარენესანსული, ხოლო პანტაგრუელი სწორედ ახალი ეპოქის და რენესანსის განსახიერება. შეიძლება ვცდები, მაგრამ მე ესეთი შთაბეჭდილება დამრჩა.

ის თავისი ახალ შეძენილი მეგობარი პანტაგრუელი საპირისპირო სახეა - აფირისტი და ტრაბახა.

სასაცილო და მოულოდნელი იყო ინგლისელი განსწავლულის ჩამოსვლა პანტაგრუელთან საპაიქროდ. რომ გგონია- არიქა როგორც პლატონის წიგნებში ეპაიქრება სოკრატე სოფისტებს ისეთი ინტელექტუალური ჯახი აიწევაო და ამ დროს, ცხვირში და ტრაკში თითის ტიკების დაპირისპირება გაგვეჩითა :დ

ასევე მომეწონა მეძავი ქალის შეფასება - " ტუტუ დაჩხვლეტილი" :დ მართლა სასაცილო იყო.

ეს პანტაგრუელი რამდენიმე რამის სიმბოლოა მგონი, როგორც მონარქიული რეჟიმის, ისე ეპოქის.

[Maria Panova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Интересна книга, написана по странен начин, която ни учи на много неща. Радвам се, че я прочетох, въпреки че е трудна за четене. Но тъй като е забавна и поучителна, чете се лесно и приятно.

[Hooper Bring]

Be sure to read Urquhart’s translation for the exotic diction.

[tarzan001 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 was more focus on the dialogues and thoughts of characters rather than them engaging in obscene acts or conversing about funny nonsense. We see here more focus on the 'academic' side in which Pantagruel engages in and exposes their faults and hypocrisies such as pedantry. This is the first hint of my dislike towards Book 3 in that it begins to shift the focus more on Panurge than the Pantagruel. I am tolerant about him being dedicated a few chapters but it just becomes unbearable in Book 3 where Pantagruel acted more of a side character and Book 3 polluted with topic of cuckolds and unfunny stupidity.