The Fables (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Jean de La Fontaine
- First Published: 1668
- Type of Work: Poetry
- Genres: Fable, Poetry, Didactic literature
- Subjects: France or French people, Poetry or poets, Seventeenth century, Animals, Foxes
Critical Evaluation:
While one may be tempted by tradition to think of Jean de La Fontaine’s Fables as children’s stories, such a notion does a disservice to La Fontaine’s elegant poetry and down-to-earth, sometimes bitter philosophy and view of life. One point one must keep in mind in reading the Fables is that they were written over a period of more than twenty-five years. The first six books of fables were published in 1668, five more books appeared in 1673-1679, and the twelfth and final book was published in 1694. As such, the Fables reflect the...
[The entire page is 2263 words long]
