The Imaginary Invalid

This final play by Molière isn't as hilarious as his best plays but was still pretty fun. Molière was ill while writing this so choosing to satirize doctors and apothecaries makes sense and explains the bitter edge to some of the speeches.

My edition, from Project Gutenberg, was a prose translation by Charles Heron Wall. I didn't have any complaints about this translation but I missed the rhyming couplets in Richard Wilbur's translations of several other Molière plays. Also, the text of this ebook was very large (even on the smallest font setting!) -- perhaps a good choice for those who have impaired vision.

Moliere's last play lazily cannibalizes Tartuffe, The Bourgeois Aristocrat and The Miser to weak comic effect; those plays leap from the page with mordant wit and brilliant farce, while this one, like its eponymous character, lies flat on its back.

This is the story of Argan, a hypochrondriac that wants to marry his daughter to a doctor in order to have one in the family. It is a typical comedy, with people is disguise, and various alliances among characters, and misunderstandings that lead to absurdity.

This play is also an attack on the medical profession, with their self-interest in keeping patients sick in order to sell cures and bill for their services.

Entertaining, quick read.

Argan is the epitome of the fool - he is so concerned with himself and is pleased to be the center of attention by way of his poor health. There is the requisite romantic couple who look to be thwarted because of this man's foolishness. But with the help of the impudent maid, everything is put to rights, though nothing can make Argan a rational creature!

Hastalık Hastası’nı okudum. Yazarın bugüne kadar okuduğum en iyi eseri oldu. Yaklaşık 1 ay sonra bu oyunu sahnede izleyeceğim için şimdiden çok mutlu oldum.

Tıp bilimini, doktorları ve eczacıları eleştiren bu oyunu sahnelenirken bizzat Argan(hastalık hastası olan karakter) karakterini canlandıran Molière oyunun sonlarına doğru fenalaşmış ve zar zor oyunu bitirebilmiş. Daha sonra oyundaki eleştiriler yüzünden hiçbir doktor Molière’i tedavi etmeyi kabul etmediği için yazar hayatını kaybetmiş. Bu olayı öğrenmeseydim yazarın doktorları bu kadar eleştirmesini uygun bulmayabilirdim belki ama öğrendiğim için yazarın az bile söylediğini düşünüyorum.

Yazarın oyunun sonlarına doğru show more Argan’ın ağzından Molière’i eleştirmesi çok hoşuma gitti. Argan’ı kendisi canlandırdığı için kendi kendini herkesin içinde gömmesi yazarın büyüklüğünü göstermek için güzel bir ayrıntı olmuş.

Oyunun başında ortasında ve sonunda üç tane kısa oyun vardı. İlk ikisinin ana oyunla alakası olmadığı için sevmedim ama bir nevi ana oyunun devamı olan 3. kısa oyunu çok sevdim. show less

Le Malade Imaginaire, Argan, est un notable. Il mène ses affaires avec succès, tient table ouverte, a des domestiques, un train de maison et des moyens.

Au début de la pièce, Argan est furieux de constater qu’il dépense de très grosses sommes pour satisfaire son vice. Névrotiquement hypocondriaque, il ne peut résister au désir éperdu de consulter des médecins, de posséder les médicaments pour maladies supposées possibles ou existantes ou en lui.

Argan a les moyens de sa névrose, mais, il sait ce qu’il dépense. Incapable d’éliminer son vice par lui-même, il cherche une solution pour alléger son prix. Il projette d’amener la médecine chez lui, en mariant sa fille à un médecin.

C’est là que commence la crise show more qui va secouer la famille entière. Argan, figure centrale, contamine les autres autour de lui, les entraînant dans sa névrose. Tous, chacun dans sa réalité sociale, vont lutter pour défendre leurs intérêts et sortir du chaos imposé par Argan. show less

Moliére's "Le malade imaginaire" from 1673 is a very angry comedy against the practices of doctors and pharmacists. The protagonist Argon is a hypochondriac and is being exploited by his doctors to buy various medicaments - they invent new illnesses and possible cures to make a good business out of Argon. The drama begins when the presumingly sick man wants to marry his daughter off to the son of a doctor to always have a medic in his family. His daughter, of course, is already in love with somebody else and is therefore resisting. Oh, and then there is Argon's wife that only wants his heirloom...

I haven't seen this piece as a play yet, still I had to grin quiet a few times while reading. As typical for Moliére the situation is absurd show more on its own, but not really distant from reality. All in all it's a nice, short book that can be read on one evening. show less