This classic work by the Russian philosopher and literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin (1895–1975) examines popular humor and folk culture in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. One of the essential texts of a theorist who is rapidly becoming a major reference in contemporary thought, Rabelais and His World is essential reading for anyone interested in problems of language and text and in cultural interpretation.
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"Bakhtin richly documents the range and scope of the popular-festive culture that is the hero of his book, its ancient roots, the vigorous life it enjoyed in the Middle Ages, its entry into important literature in the Renaissance, even the considerable traces of it that still survive after centuries of repression."
— Modern Language Quarterly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
— Modern Language Quarterly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Text: English, Russian (translation)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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46 of 53 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Take your time with this academic book and you will be rewarded. It rediscovers the spirit of the Medieval carnival. The tradition stemmed from ancient Greek and Rome and its function was to give a vent to people's death fear and anger over social injustice. "Everything was allowed" and for a short period of time the social taboos were erased. Fools and prostitutes were "crowned" to embody Kings, Queens, Pope, saints, monks and nunns. And the chosen ones were mocked, ridiculed, assailed and beaten and stoned and "dethrowned" and "impeached."
Is this tradition dead today? Think twice -- think David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and especially Howard Stern, and you will be amazed to find astoundig parallels between the past and modern times.
34 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mikhail Bakhtin first began "Rabelais and His World" in 1917 during the heady days of the Russian Revolution. Like some of the colleges of today, the University of St. Petersburg at the height of the Revolution boasted a flexible curriculum and encouraged free thought among its students. While the gunfire echoed in the streets, Bakhtin and his colleagues gathered to declare the Russian Revolution the "Third Renaissance". This comparison between the Italian Renaissance and the Russian Revolution inspired him to begin his dissertation on Rabelais. The events of the Revolution swept everyone up into the societal transitions. No one could just be a bystander. From this all-encompassing mood of social interaction arose Bakhtin's concept of the "theater without footlights". As for the significance of the individual in the Carnivalesque one has only to look to the Fool. Bakhtin considered his first reading of Friedrich Nietzsche an epiphany. The great German philosopher remained one of Bakhtin's most important influences throughout his writing career. The Fool, as an extension of the carnival, is the ultimate Nietzschean character. Able to move between worlds, he demonstrates the power of the individual to transcend societal norms. Bakhtin states, "the images of folk culture are absolutely fearless and communicate this fearlessness to all". The Fool is representative of this utopian ideal personified in the individual.
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By Chuck
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is simply the best analysis of the "Carnivalesque" and is a valuable preface to Rabelais' novel itself. Bakhtin's book alerts the reader of Rabelais to his (Rabelais') masterful use of language and explores the sources of medieval popular culture that served his purposes. I have enjoyed Rabelais with much deeper understanding having first read Bakhtin.
Bakhtin and Rabelais both negotiated cultural minefields to produce their works. Both deserve to be more widely read.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rabelais' World Is One That Cries Out For Freedom
Those who come to RABELAIS AND HIS WORLD by Mikhail Bakhtin with little or no knowledge of either the author or his topic are likely to find the first chapter arcane and scholarly... Read more
Published on April 21, 2011 by Martin Asiner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Theory
Good theory, if you're into it.
Published on March 17, 2003 by Peter A. Weisman
4.0 out of 5 stars
very good intro to Bakhtin
A book for those who are seriously interested in Bakhtin's ideas: seeing how they develop from the idea of carnival and folk culture to the polyphonous, heteroglossic and dialogic... Read more
Published on April 26, 2000
3.0 out of 5 stars
"Carnival, Carnival, Wherefore Art Thou Carnival?"
The concept of the carnival has been somewhat lost in modern society. Literature from the past is often filled with annual town carnivals and circuses, filled with ringmasters and... Read more
Published on March 2, 1999
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