I was really looking forward to reading Droll Stories, as it seemed to me that a ribald parody of medieval tales was subject matter I could easily find amusing treasures in. However it seems as if Balzac had taken on a rabelaisian task without having the right mindset to offer the reader the same degree of grotesque bawdiness all the way through.

Balzac promises us a book of the "richest flavour, full of right hearty merriment, spiced to the palate of the illustrious and very precious tosspots and drinkers, to whom our worthy compatriot Francois Rabelais, the eternal honour of Touraine, addressed himself", and this is true of the first ten tales, and indeed somewhat into the second ten tales, but about midway through the second lot of stories the writing takes a turn towards more dramatic themes and the absurdity so well begun wanes. Some of the early pieces I quite enjoyed such as The Brother-in-Arms, The Vicar of Azay-Le-Rideau, and the most befitting The Merry Tattle of the Nuns of Poissy which has a novice nun searching her naked body by command of a senior sister for a potentially sinful flea. This is the kind of bawdy absurdness I was hoping to unravel through-out the entire collection of stories, but by the time I had reached the third ten tales I was struggling to keep engrossed and felt that Balzac was writing in a completely different mood to when he had started out despite the verve of the prologues and epilogues that would have us believe otherwise.

"Give us a story, then, that stops at the girdle", this is what I was expecting all the way through Droll Stories, it may be that Balzac is tickled by the wit of Rabelais but I just don't think he has the same nuance of the absurd that is required to replicate it in his own outpourings. It's worth reading for the few tales that will delight the more lewd of the senses and my 1946 edition has saucy illustrations by Steele Savage which enrich the feel of the collection, but if you are hoping for something that will make you gasp and guffaw then I'd recommend Rabelais himself. Having said all that, it is splendid that Balzac attempted such an ode and I'm sure it is probably better read in the author's native tongue. ( )

A set of light, fun short stories about love. Done in an imitation of Rabelais' style. Intricate wordplay and innuendo about love. A lot is lost in translation, but some of the simple lewd humor shines through. ( )

These are some stories translated from Old French to English about life in Tourraine, France, in the 16th century... mostly as it related to scandals involving sex, elopements, drama in royal/noble families, drama @ French & English court, and/or adultery. Pretty shocking what Honoré de Balzac actually comes out and says, cloaking the scandalous parts of stories with amusing metaphors that are only too easy to guess. Here's a passage out of his short story "The Reproach":

"The sweet wench and her well-beloved were busy trying to catch, in a certain lake that you probably know, the little bird that never stays in it, and they were laughing and trying, and still laughing" (183).

The translation sometimes makes it difficult to understand the more subtle references, unfortunately. I'm sure it would be doubly hilarious in its original French. Still, I'm pleased that this text was translated at all. It certainly does give one a good idea of what people were like back then, 5-600 years ago. According to the translator's intro, they all appreciated a good, crude joke. If you can, too, then you'll enjoy Balzac's Droll Stories. ( )

4/16/22

The book is French so can't really review the text but the book itself is antique. Very old but still holding together. The picture plates inside are amazing. There are many of them instead of one in a chapter. It is amazing just to watch the pictures alone. ( )