Fables: Jean de La Fontaine
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Authors
Boillat, Joanna
La Fontaine, Jean de
Issue Date
2009
Type
Book, Whole
Language
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Abstract
Here is a thoroughly contemporary presentation of La Fontaine in 216 large, lovely, and heavy pages. From four to eight fables per book are included. Watch out for the clever title-pages for each book. A character in silhouette looks over at the list of fables to be presented. The pictures, outspokenly modern, present animal heads with human bodies. GA is presented in two female insects sitting back to back in chairs, one enjoying coffee and the other working on a computer (7). I cannot even be sure which is cicada and which is ant! FC is presented as a case of conversants, perhaps even psychologist and client (8-9). The rats in TMCM sit at a modest table with food and glasses of wine (14-15). One of the most captivating images is for BC: three rows of six mice -- all apparently identical and identically dressed -- sit on chairs with their hands in their laps (25). Similar is the illustration for FK (49): are those look-alike frogs voting or waving hello? The weasel that got into a granary is a sleek model type with red shoes and bonbons (58-59). One of the great pictures of the whole book is the farmer ready to wield the sickle himself (77). Another great illustration is that of the monkey elected to rule the animals (101). Les Animals malades de la Peste (116-19) is wonderfully presented through a first black-and-white silhouette of board members and then a colored, personalized version of the same with the guilty ass inserted. The milkmaid is turned into a shopper who stumbles and drops her bags and purse (122-23). What she stumbles upon is an economic graph! One more of many good illustrations: Les Deux Coqs is presented as a cocktail party (124-25). Watch out for the menacing vulture who looms up on the far right! This artist understands La Fontaine wonderfully!
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Publisher
Éditions Gründ