1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

  • Gulliver's Travels
  • Roxana
  • Moll Flanders
  • Love In Excess
  • Robinson Crusoe
  • A Tale of a Tub
  • Oroonoko
  • The Princess of Cleves

Saturday, September 4, 2010

7 Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francois Rabelais

I'd never read anything by Rabelais, but knew 'Rabelaisian' implied bawdy humour.  This satirical French novel was published in 1532 and in several books tells the story of Gargantua, his son Pantagruel and Pantagruel's companion Panurge and their adventures and travels.

Rabelais makes fun of politics, education and religion.  I enjoyed the stories about Pantagruel and Panurge best, where Panurge seeks advice of various oracles about whether he will marry happily or be a miserable cuckold. 

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