The Molire Encyclopedia
(Hardback)
Publishing Details
The Molire Encyclopedia
By (Author) James F. Gaines
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Greenwood Press
30th November 2002
United States
Classifications
Tertiary Education
Non Fiction
Literary studies: general
842.2
Physical Properties
Hardback
528
Width 156mm, Height 235mm
879g
Description
Born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin in 1622, the French playwright Moliere became one of the most influential dramatists of the 17th century. His comedies shaped the development of theatre in Europe, inspired his contemporaries in England, and left a lasting dramatic legacy after his death in 1673. Moliere has also generated a vast body of scholarship, and recent work has dispelled many of the myths surrounding his career. This reference provides English-speaking readers with a current and comprehensive guide to his life and works. A chronology outlines the chief events in his life and his contributions to the stage. This is followed by hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries on topics related to his life and theatrical career. Included are entries for individual characters, plays and historical persons, as well as for his allusions, influences and cultural institutions. Scrupulously researched, the volume relies on verifiable facts and gives little attention to the romantic fiction surrounding the playwright. Many of the entries list works for further reading, and the volume concludes with a bibliography.
Reviews
Numerous 17th-century scholars and Moliere specialists contribute articles or entries to this long-overdue reference resource concerning the life and plays of Moliere and the conventions of his time....Essential. For all readers interested in Moliere, and all academic reference collections.-Choice
"Numerous 17th-century scholars and Moliere specialists contribute articles or entries to this long-overdue reference resource concerning the life and plays of Moliere and the conventions of his time....Essential. For all readers interested in Moliere, and all academic reference collections."-Choice
Author Bio
JAMES F. GAINES is Professor of Modern Foreign Languages at Mary Washington College. He has published several books, and his essays have appeared in such journals as French Review, Neophilologus, Kentucky Romance Quarterly, and Comparative Literature.
