La foire d'empoigne suivi de Cécile ou l'École des Pères

by Jean Anouilh

Les Cent-Jours vus par Jean Anouilh. Napoléon, Louis XVIII, Fouché, et un bon jeune homme plein d'idéal... L'Histoire fait des clins d'oeil au présent. L'humour au vitriol de Jean Anouilh la transforme en une comique Foire d'empoigne. Une fille de dix-sept ans, son amoureux de vingt ans, une gouvernante de vingt-trois ans et un père encore jeune, tel est le mélange explosif proposé dans Cécile ou L'école des pères.

153 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 1979

About the author

Jean Anouilh was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades, producing works that ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, though he is best remembered for his 1944 production of Sophocles’ Antigone, which, despite passing censorship, was widely interpreted as a critique of the Vichy regime. Born to a tailor father and a violinist mother, Anouilh absorbed the theatre from an early age, attending rehearsals and reading scripts, and began writing plays at twelve. The family moved to Paris, where he attended the Lycée Chaptal and briefly studied law at the Sorbonne before leaving to work in advertising. Early in his career he wrote comic scenes for cinema and worked as secretary to director Louis Jouvet, whose mentorship and the influence of playwright Jean Giraudoux inspired Anouilh to pursue theatre seriously. He debuted with collaborative and solo plays such as Humulus le muet, L’Hermine, and Mandarine, which, though not commercially successful, led to greater recognition with Le voyageur sans bagage in 1937. Anouilh developed distinct categories for his plays, including pièces noires, or tragedies like Antigone, exploring moral integrity against compromise; pièces roses, comedic works emphasizing fantasy and freedom; pièces brillantes, witty plays set in aristocratic environments; pièces grinçantes, darker, ironic comedies; and pièces costumées, historical dramas such as The Lark and Becket, highlighting protagonists pursuing moral paths amidst corruption. His later works, often called pièces secrètes, focused on dramatists and theatre professionals, emphasizing family and intimate relationships over conventional theatrical action. Politically, Anouilh remained largely apolitical, serving in the French Army and living under German occupation, his plays often interpreted as ambivalent reflections on resistance and pragmatism. Critically, he was recognized for blending lyrical language, precise dialogue, and structured plots, producing a prolific output for over fifty years, and winning accolades including the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca, consideration for the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature, and the inaugural Grand Prix du Théâtre de l'Académie française. His works continued to be performed internationally, balancing existential concerns, moral dilemmas, and humor, reflecting a nuanced perspective on human nature. By the end of his career, he had influenced French theatre deeply, navigating between realism, comedy, and tragedy, and remained a vital figure in twentieth-century drama until his death, leaving a legacy of plays that explore the tension between idealism and compromise, the demands of conscience, and the pursuit of integrity in a flawed world.

Reviews

[Jenifaël · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pas les pièces de théâtre qui vont me marquer le plus, mais qui restaient sympathiques à découvrir.

👑La foire d'empoigne : J'ai beaucoup apprécié les personnages de Napoléon et de Louis XVIII qui ont des réflexions autour du pouvoir et du peuple qui sont très intéressantes et qui sont mises en perspective l'une par l'autre. Cependant, je n'ai pas bien compris le véritable intérêt de l'histoire entre Fouchet et d'Anouville, ce qui m'a donné une sensation de longueur et m'a désintéressé de l'idée de base qui était pourtant très passionnante. 3/5⭐

💘Cécile ou l'école des pères : Là, c'était très bien. J'ai été captivée et entraînée par le récit, touchée par les personnages et leur justesse, même s'il n'y avait rien de particulièrement révolutionnaire. 3,75/5⭐

📒Citations :
- « AMARINTHE : Ce beau petit cœur tout neuf et qui bat, pour tout, à tout rompre, m'a tout l'air d'être un joli petit caillou, monsieur le chevalier.  »
- « LE CHEVALIER : Hé bien ! Cécile, vous voilà devant le bonheur et vous ne voulez plus entrer ? »