Ubu Roi

Jarry, Alfred, 1873-1907Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.5

Word count: 76K words
Chapters: 8

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.Ubu Roi by Alfred JarryAuthor: Jarry, Alfred, 1873-1907,Language: French, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Oct 16, 2005

Editor's review

Ubu Roi is Alfred Jarry's play that caused a scandal at its 1896 premiere and is regarded as a forerunner of absurdist theatre. The Gutenberg edition is the original French text, classified under French literature, and the free electronic text makes comparative reading convenient. Its value lies in its exaggerated, vulgar, and parodic subversion of traditional dramatic conventions, which deeply influenced later avant-garde theatre. It suits drama students doing textual analysis, or readers interested in the origins of modernism as focused reading. A caution: the language is highly experimental and the plot absurd, so first-time readers may find it uncomfortable; the Gutenberg edition has no modern annotations. Editors recommend treating it as a key text in theatre history rather than light entertainment, and learning about late 19th-century French theatre before reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Drama students and enthusiasts of absurdist theatre
Advanced readers interested in the origins of modernist theatre
Readers who need a public-domain French script for comparative research

Not a good fit for

General readers expecting conventional plots and positive characters
Beginners with insufficient French reading ability and no translation to assist them

Reading tips

First read an introduction in Chinese or English to understand the premiere controversy and absurdist techniques before tackling the original.
Read aloud act by act, paying attention to the rhythm of the dialogue and the exaggerated stage directions to appreciate the theatrical effect.
After finishing, compare it with absurdist plays and list two points of inheritance and two of difference.

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 the original French version?

According to Project Gutenberg information, the book is in French, classified under French literature, and is the original French electronic text, not a Chinese translation. It is recommended for those with basic French reading ability or for use alongside a translation.

Why is it considered important?

Sources show it is a play by Alfred Jarry, and in public-domain common knowledge the play is known for subverting traditional dramatic conventions and is regarded as a forerunner of absurdist theatre. Its specific influence requires understanding in the context of theatre history materials.

Can I understand it without annotations?

The Gutenberg edition usually contains no modern annotations. The play has many parodies and period allusions, so it is advisable to first read an introduction to theatre history or consult an annotated print edition before reading the original electronic text.

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About the author

Jarry, Alfred, 1873-1907 Author · French · 1873–1907

Alfred Jarry (1873–1907) was a French writer and playwright, best known for his play Ubu Roi. This work is generally regarded as a forerunner of the Theatre of the Absurd: its characters and plot are presented in an exaggerated, grotesque manner that breaks with traditional drama's assumptions of reason and order, and it has had a lasting influence on later absurdist theatre and modernist literature. Jarry's life was brief and his output limited, but his writing is distinctive, often using satire and black humour to expose the absurd aspects of human nature and power. Beyond Ubu Roi, public information about the details of his life and work is limited, and scholarly discussion tends to centre on the play's avant-garde character and its stage experiments. Drawing on limited sources, this entry focuses on his representative work and its significance in literary history.