The School for Husbands ; And, Sganarelle, Or, the Imaginary Cuckold [Hardcover]

Moliere (Author), Richard Wilbur (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1994

Two plays in which the entertaining character of Sganarelle appears-in The School for Husbands as a guardian, and in Sganarelle, or The Imaginary Cuckold as a duped and jealous husband. Introductions by Richard Wilbur.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

RICHARD WILBUR, one of America’s most beloved poets, has served as poet --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Harcourt (January 1994)
• ISBN-10: 999312320X
• ISBN-13: 978-9993123200
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,005,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Comeuppance for a jerk (4.5 stars), February 12, 2012

By 

B. Wilfong (Newark, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: School For Husbands and Sganarelle, or The Imaginary Cuckold, by Moliere (Paperback)

"The School for Husbands" is a lovely example of the commedia dell'arte influenced comedy that Moliere perfected in the mid 1600s. Richard Wilbur's translation of the original French into rhyming English couplets is almost as great an achievement. He is the premier interpreter of Moliere into English, and when you read, or see, Moliere his translations give the plays the most life and lift.
If you are familiar with Moliere you know that many of his plays have similar motifs and themes. There is the foolish middle aged man, the smart young female romantic lead, the man she loves but can't have, and a couple of saucy females, usually of the sibling or domestic servant variety. Those familiar plot points are also present in this text. And like most of Moliere, they work here.
In short, the play is about a man named Sganarelle who is clueless and petty in every way possible, and who is convinced that his cruelty toward a young ward has resulted in her loving him. Like I said, he is clueless. The play is really nothing more than the machinations of the young ward (a woman named Isabelle) trying to get out from under Sganarelle and into the arms of the man she really loves. The real pleasure of this piece is in watching Isabelle and others use Sganarelle's very character traits against him, and thus achieving their ends with his assistance. The plot barrels along at a very rapid pace, even for Moliere, and it is a quick and delightful reading experience. In the hands of some good actors and a talented classical director, a production would be a very enjoyable evening.
Moliere does not yield as many riches as Shakespeare, but he yields more than enough to make reading him worthwhile. Enjoy!

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great story, April 18, 2001

By 

erin (athens, ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: School For Husbands and Sganarelle, or The Imaginary Cuckold, by Moliere (Paperback)

i greatly enjoyed this book. it was amusing and terribly funny. i could barely put it down. the characters were life-like and i found myself wrapped up in their twisted plot. i would recommend this book for anyone that wants a liesurely read.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars i luv this book, October 28, 2006

By 

Rob Raynor "I love his book!" (seattle,WA usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: School For Husbands and Sganarelle, or The Imaginary Cuckold, by Moliere (Paperback)

this book is pretty cool it definitly inspired the creation of another cuckold resource.I recommend this book[..].