The Fabliaux

by Nathaniel E. Dubin (Translator)

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The first major English translation of the most scandalous and irreverent poetry in Western literature. Composed between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, these virtually unknown erotic and satiric poems lie at the root of the Western comic tradition. Passed down by the anticlerical middle classes of medieval France, the Fabliaux depict priapic priests, randy wives, and their cuckolded husbands in tales that are shocking even by today's standards. Chaucer and Boccaccio borrowed heavily show more from these riotous tales, which were the wit of the common man rebelling against the aristocracy and Church in matters of food, money, and sex. Containing 69 poems with a parallel Old French text, The Fabliaux reproduces the world and feeling of the medieval tale.--From publisher description. show less

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Member Reviews

2 reviews
My friend Jo bought this for me because I ‘like the Middle Ages’. When I showed her the contents she denied all knowledge and said someone else must have given it to me. I mean, she had literally just handed it to me. To be fair, even I was shocked when I opened it up and saw the first poem was called ‘The Cunt Made with a Spade’. It doesn’t get any better: ‘The Knight Who Made Cunts Talk’, The Piece of Shit’ (a personal favourite), ‘The Fucker’. Shocking stuff, and incredibly funny. Sometimes you think you’ll be safe. ‘Saint Martin’s Four Wishes’ sounds ok. No. It’s the worst (best) of the bunch.

I’d recommend it to perverts and people who like the Middle Ages. It makes a nice present. It has the French show more text with a facing English translation that is line-for-line and still manages to replicate the octosyllabic couplets while being funny. Remarkable achievement. I have the first edition. Well bound. Boards covered in purple paper, illustrated and gilt stamped. Lovely paper. Fussy typeface. show less
A hefty collection of raunchy, scatological, sexist, and anti-clerical tales...so much fun to read!

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Author Information

Translator
1 Work 123 Members

All Editions

Bloch, R. Howard (Introduction)

Awards and Honors

Common Knowledge

People/Characters
Geoffrey Chaucer; Giovanni Boccaccio; Moliere; François Rabelais
Original language
Old French

Classifications

Genres
Poetry, Fiction and Literature
DDC/MDS
841.03Literature & rhetoricFrench LiteratureFrench poetryFrench poetryRomantic and epic
LCC
PQ1319 .F25Language and LiteratureFrench, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese literaturesFrench literatureOld French literatureCollections
BISAC

Statistics

Members
123
Popularity
265,293
Reviews
2
Rating
½ (3.67)
Languages
English
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
4
UPCs
1