Ubu Roi (Dover Thrift Editions) [Paperback]

Alfred Jarry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2003 | Series: Dover Thrift Editions

A stunning, controversial work that immediately outraged audiences with its scatological references during the 1896 premiere, the farce satirizes the tendency of the successful bourgeois to abuse his authority and become irresponsibly complacent. Championed as the first absurdist drama, Ubu Roi features a main character that is cruel, gluttonous, and grotesque.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Play by Alfred Jarry, published and produced in 1896. The play was translated into English and published under a variety of titles. This grotesque farce about the monstrous Ubu, originally written as a parody of one of Jarry's teachers, swiftly turned into a satire of the French middle class. The title character, Pere Ubu, is a gluttonous, greedy, and cruel individual who slaughters the royal family of Poland in order to ascend to the throne. Ubu ultimately proves himself a coward when he is forced to do battle with the king of Poland's surviving son. The play's scatological references, pompous style, and bastardized French caused the audience to riot when it was first produced. It was later championed by the Surrealists and Dadaists in the 1920s, who recognized in Ubu roi the first absurdist drama. Jarry wrote several sequels, including Ubu enchaine (1900; "Ubu Bound") and Ubu cocu (1944; "Ubu Cuckolded"), which were translated and published with Ubu roi as The Ubu Plays (1968). -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (January 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486426874
• ISBN-13: 978-0486426877
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Continental European
  • #56 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Continental European
  • #73 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Theater > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roll over Dover, July 5, 2005

By 

Peter T. Schwenger (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ubu Roi (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

Silvermom's review of Ubu Roi on this site is misleading. It refers to the New Directions edition of the play, now unfortunately out of print. The Dover edition does not have the delightful line drawings, nor the added essays on theatre by Jarry. Also, I don't much care for Dover's gratuitous (and inaccurate) translation of "Ubu Roi" as "King Turd." On the other hand, as far as English translations go, Dover's is pretty much the only game in town. And Jarry's game is wonderfully worth playing, full of rambunctious anarchic high spirits. Just so you have a better idea of what you'll actually be getting.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars supremely funny and farcical, August 21, 1999

By 

S. Clark - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ubu Roi (Paperback)

Hugely, magnificently funny. I saw a live production of this play on an education channel some years ago. It is totally anarchic and joyful.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a worthwhile edition, November 15, 2009

By 

Kyle A. Wright (San Diego, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ubu Roi (Paperback)

"Ubu Roi" is surely Jarry's most widely known work, and it is an excellent and fun read indeed. However, this edition on New Directions is, unfortunately, badly done.

The translation here is by Barbara Wright, who's translations (of Jarry, Queneau, and others) I generally enjoy. I'm sure this one is equally good, but it is difficult to tell. The entire text of "Ubu Roi" is presented here in hand-written form (scribbled is more like it), with a pen the size of a sharpie. Add to that inane drawings (not Jarry's) around and behind the text on every page. Not only is this very distracting, but some words are not really legible. If you try hard enough you can read it, but it is a very tedious process and completely takes away the fun of reading "Ubu Roi".

With that said, there are a few additional texts in this volume that are printed normally, and which are worthwhile. First is Barbara Wright's useful introduction, and at the end are two essays on the theatre by Jarry, as well as his "Song of Disembraining". The two essays can be found in the Methuen edition, but the "Song..." I have not seen in any other easily available Jarry volume.

I'd highly recommend that any interested reader avoid this edition and pay a few more dollars for the Methuen edition. The translation there (by Connolly and Taylor) is excellent, includes the two subsequent Ubu plays, and features a lengthy introduction and larger selection of Jarry's essays on the theatre.