François Rabelais was a towering figure of French Renaissance literature, a physician, and a humanist scholar. His writing is celebrated for its vibrant fantasy, sharp satire, and the grotesque, often infused with bawdy humor and song. He is recognized as one of the titans of world literature and a foundational voice in the development of modern European writing.
Rip-roaring and rib-tickling, Francois Rabelais' irreverent story of the giant Gargantua, his giant son Pantagruel, and their companion Panurge is a classic of the written word. This translation, annotated for the nonspecialist, brings to twentieth-century English all the exuberance and invention of the original sixteenth-century French.
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
Francios Rabelais (c. 1494-1553), a Franciscan monk who also qualified as a Bachelor of Medicine, was at the centre of the humanist movement and had absorbed a vast amount of learning. Gargantua and Pantagruel parodies everyone from eminent classical authors and schoolmen to Rabelais's own acquaintances. But the brilliance of the book lies not merely in these learned references, but in the seamless story into which they are woven, and in the passion and swiftness of language of an acknowledged master of satire.
The Complete works of Rabelais
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Francois Rabelais's masterpiece is a comic masterpiece of Renaissance literature. Published in the mid-sixteenth century, this work is a hilarious and subversive satire of medieval society and culture. Featuring unforgettable characters and daring humor, Rabelais's work is a classic of Western literature that has inspired generations of writers and readers. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of comedy and satire.