Battle of Ladies

Augustin-Eugène ScribeProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 224K words
Chapters: 23

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Bataille de dames by Ernest Legouvé and Eugène ScribeAuthor: Scribe, Eugène, 1791-1861,Language: French, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: May 1, 2004

Editor's review

This classic play, a collaboration between Scribe and Legouvé, two representative authors of nineteenth-century French popular comedy, is distinguished by its light dialogue and ingeniously woven plot. Centered on emotional and ideological conflicts among women, it explores marriage, reputation, and personal choice beneath a comic surface; the lines sparkle with wit and the structure is tight, making it a fine introduction to the narrative appeal of the French well-made play. As a public-domain ebook, the text is preserved as originally published and is convenient for comparative reading. Readers interested in nineteenth-century French theater history, comic structure, or French literature may find it an accessible sample of the stage tastes of the period, and it can also serve as a reference for playwriting and dialogue analysis. When reading, pay attention to the puns and misunderstandings in the characters' conversations, and observe how the authors use misunderstanding to drive the plot and cleverness to resolve conflict.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in nineteenth-century French comedy and stage plays
Students and researchers studying French literature or dramatic structure
General readers who enjoy witty dialogue and plots built on misunderstanding
Ebook readers who want the original text of a public-domain French play

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting the deep psychological exploration of a modern novel
Readers unaccustomed to play format and the original French text
Readers who prefer fast-paced contemporary suspense or fantasy

Reading tips

Read a plot summary first, then go through the play act by act, noting where misunderstandings and reversals are set up
Read dialogue passages aloud to sense the rhythm and tone of French comic speech
Use background material on nineteenth-century French theater to understand the features of the well-made play
After reading, map the characters' relationships and revisit how key conflicts are cleverly resolved

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a play?

It is a dramatic work presented in script form, with character dialogue and stage directions. Readers need to adjust to scene changes and line-by-line dialogue; it is better read act by act rather than as the continuous narrative of a novel.

Can I read it without any French?

The original text is in French, so reading it without any French will be difficult. A bilingual edition or translation can help with comprehension before returning to the original to feel the rhythm of the dialogue; if you only want the story, start with a Chinese translation or plot summary.

Why is it recommended to pay attention to the design of misunderstandings?

Scribean comedy is known for advancing plot through ingenious misunderstandings and coincidences, with characters reacting under asymmetric information to create humor and tension. Noticing these designs helps readers understand the narrative techniques of the well-made play and sharpens sensitivity to dramatic structure.

Comments

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About the author

Augustin-Eugène Scribe Author · French · 1791–1861

Eugène Scribe (1791–1861) was a French playwright and librettist. He wrote nearly 400 plays and became known for his skillfully constructed "well-made plays," dominating the Parisian stage for more than thirty years. His works are notable for their careful plotting and stagecraft, and they exerted a lasting influence on popular drama. He also wrote numerous opera librettos for composers such as Auber, Meyerbeer, and Verdi; his representative works include La Muette de Portici and Le Comte Ory. He was elected to the Académie française in 1834. Five of his works are held in this collection, including Bataille de dames and Carlos Broschi, spanning opera librettos and comedies. Public information on his detailed life is limited.