There is a myth about Molière founded on a jumble of legends: the jealous, miserable husband with a dreamy, melancholic temperament, the clumsy writer of verse, the actor capable of nothing but comedy, a sick man consumed by his weak lungs... Generations of biographers have circulated these fables which still make up his portrait today. 
How can we see Molière as his contemporaries knew him? None of his manuscripts, letters or personal notes remain. For the best possible understanding of the character of the man, the story of the actor, the audacity of the theatre director, the creative ingenuity of the writer, we have to look back at the little-known accounts and forgotten documents that portray the work and life of the man, the life of an unusual family, the tribulations of an outstanding troupe, the seduction of the artist-courtier and favourite of Louis XIV, shedding light on the life of the greatest comic writer of the Western world. 
Georges Forestier gives us a glimpse of the creator’s private life. He pieces together his intellectual training, unveiling the secret recipes of his works and revealing the logic that presides over the perpetual supply of plays. From show to show, and from one triumph to the next, Molière constantly revolutionised the very genre that is comedy. And this is why this alchemist remains forever a contemporary to his audience and his readers.

Number of pages: 544 pages
Date: 11 October 2018
Dimensions: 15.5 x 22.5 cm
Language: French
ISBN: 9782070135066