Fables of La Fontaine

Timeless and timely, La Fontaines Fables still speak to us today.Pearl Hochstadts translation has been praised as:Witty, modern, and faithfulThalia Pandiri, Editor of Metamorphoses, the Journal of the Five College Faculty Seminar on Literary Translation A fine, lively text which would give any new reader a sense of what La Fontaine is aboutProfessor Richard Howard, Columbia University, poet and translator.For centuries the Fables of Jean de La Fontaine (16211695) have delighted French readers, captivated by their wit and charm. Memorizing the first few fables has been a staple feature of the early education of French schoolchildren. But those who go on to examine the entire oeuvre soon recognize a sophistication that leaves the simple lessons of childhood far behind, offering instead a rueful recognition of the frailties and follies of humankind. Like all proverbial wisdom, his messages are full of contradictions. Some advocate prudence; some celebrate boldness. Some praise generosity; others warn against being generous to treacherous types. But what unites all of them is the artfulness of their tellingthe poetry. It is this quality that Pearl Hochstadt has aimed to capture in verses that approximate both the rhyme schemes and the often irregular meters of the original text.