Customer Reviews

All Gall: Malicious Monologues & Ruthless Recitations: Paperback Book (Tour De Farce, V. 6)

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The French are very much into "dark humor" which is wonderfully revealed in "All Gall." The delicious surprise in these choice peices is the very modern sensibility of even the oldest selections. This material -- from two centuries past -- reads like what you might get if you married one of the better episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and one of the more hilarious sketches from "Saturday Night Live."

"All Gall" fills a void in English translations, giving an excellent cross-section of French humor over the last 150 years. Even better, the translations read as if they were originally written in English. The Alphonse Allais sketches are tremendous examples of his offbeat wit; the macabre pieces by Jacques Sternberg -- virtually unknown in this country -- are a revelation; likewise the pieces by Apollinaire, a great modern poet, reveal a little-known side of his inspiration; and the surrealistic sketches by Picabia and Leonora Carrington give an unexpected literary glimpse into the humor of two important visual artists.

I am particularly taken with the two Feydeau monologues. Yes -- monologues written by one of the masters of farce. My enjoyment of these brilliant pieces are enhanced by the tremendous success I achieved (lucky me!) with a production I directed of "In the Game of the Law" (one of the two Feydeau selections) at Harvard University. The sharp observations of character in the writing, the witty word play, and the amazingly astute and contemporary social satire created an thrilling theatrical experience. The ease and delight with which the audience connected with this peice (written in 1898) is a testament not only to Feydeau's timeless mastery of his craft but also a tribute to Shapiro's brilliance.

Unusual, timely, and most important -- hilarious.

although not an actor's traditional monologue book, this little gem does give you nice, entertaining material to choose from. i'm not sure as to its literary merit, but the point is that they entertain the listener. i performed one of the pieces at a theatre conference and got a great reception. the key is that they're not expecting this. as i said before, i am not aware that this is on a lower eschelon of french writing--i simply thought it was blackly humorous. give it a try.

I am an admirer of Mr.Shapiro's translations, both of his serious and of his witty works. Thus, it came as a great surprise to find this small volume of Gallic Garbage as selected and translated by my favorite interpreter. The review quoted on the back cover of the book told me:"this collection will provide classic French wit and wickedness", so I could hardly wait to open it and read it. Alas, the selections must have been from the bottom of the barrel [garbage, that is]and those famous names, Apollinaire, Feydeau,Tristan Bernard and others could hardly write more witless pieces than these in the selection. French humor is not like this! I surely hope, that this is not the "shape of things to come" from such an excellent translator of Baudlaire, Verlain and the Fabolous French.