The Love-Tiff

Molière, 1622-1673Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.7

Word count: 107K words
Chapters: 11

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.The Love-Tiff by MolièreAuthor: Molière, 1622-1673,Language: English, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Sep 1, 2004

Editor's review

Molière's early comedy The Love-Tiff hinges on a lovers' quarrel and misunderstanding, unfolding the wit and farcical rhythm characteristic of French comedy. This Project Gutenberg English edition gives readers direct access to the dialogue of seventeenth-century French comedy; it is short and clearly structured, making it a good introductory text for understanding Molière's comic technique. Its value lies not in intricate plot but in the worldly observation and verbal wit that emerge from the characters' sparring; as you read, notice how the misunderstanding is amplified layer by layer and resolved through coincidence. For theater lovers, this is a light but representative sample of classical comedy, and it also invites comparison with Molière's later masterpieces to trace the evolution of his comic craft.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Theater lovers seeking an initial acquaintance with Molière's comic style
Teachers needing a short classical English play as classroom material
Readers interested in seventeenth-century French drama and the art of dialogue

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting complex plots and deep psychological portrayal
Beginners whose English reading is still labored and who need annotation support
General readers who prefer the narrative pace of modern fiction

Reading tips

Read a plot summary first, then go scene by scene, noting how the misunderstanding is driven by dialogue.
Read the key quarrel passages aloud to feel the rhythm and wit of French comic dialogue.
After reading, compare with other Molière comedies and note the features of his early technique.

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 English edition suitable for readers with no French?

Yes. It is an English translation and requires no French; however, the seventeenth-century background and dramatic dialogue may feel unfamiliar, so it is best to grasp the character relationships first and infer unfamiliar expressions from context rather than checking every word.

How long is it, and how difficult?

This is an early Molière comedy, relatively short, with a clear structure built around a quarrel and misunderstanding. The English is of moderate difficulty, suitable for readers with some English reading ability who are willing to engage with classical drama, and not for complete beginners.

What can I learn about Molière from this book?

You can observe how his early comedy uses misunderstanding, quarrels, and coincidence to create humor, and the wit in the characters' dialogue. It is not as mature or complex as his later works, but precisely for that reason it makes a good starting point for understanding his comic technique.

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About the author

Molière, 1622-1673 Author

Molière (1622-1673), born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, was a leading figure of French classical comedy and worked in the seventeenth-century French theatre as both actor and playwright. The library holds 41 of his works, including such representative plays as Tartuffe, The Miser, and Don Juan, ou le Festin de pierre, as well as multi-volume editions of his complete works. Drawing on everyday life, his comedies expose hypocrisy, greed, and vanity with exaggerated yet incisive satire; his characters are vividly drawn and his dialogue witty and lively, conveying criticism of social ills through laughter. Public information on his early life and education is limited, so no speculation is offered here. His plays have had a profound influence on French and European theatre history and are still frequently staged today.