Selected Fables

by Jean de la Fontaine, Maya Slater (Editor), Christopher Wood (Translator)

This lively new translation of the most famous among La Fonatine's celebrated fables captures the wit and nuances of the original, showing how La Fontaine deals with universal themes in a deeply human, wise, and yet irrepressibly humorous way. The selection--including 110 of the original 240
fables--spans La Fontaine's long writing life and shows his progression from short, charming tales for children to longer, more philosophical fables. Including a parallel French text, a full introduction, and extensive notes, this edition is perfect for all lovers of poetry.

Genres: Classics, Poetry, Fiction, France, French Literature, Short Stories, Fairy Tales

418 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1668

About the author

French writer Jean de la Fontaine collected the stories of Aesop and other persons in his Fables (1668-1694).

French literary figures, including Molière and Jean de la Fontaine, gathered at Auteuil, a favorite place.

People most widely read the famous poet Jean de la Fontaine of the 17th century.

According to Gustave Flaubert, only this poet understood and mastered the texture of the language before Victor Marie Hugo. A set of postage stamps, issued in 1995, celebrates la Fontaine. Jean de La Fontaine, le défi , a film, released in April 2007, starred Lorànt Deutsch of his life.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_de...

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fables that point out human weakness without ever becoming negative; as such the lessons taught are taught with the hope that a weakness perceived can be improved upon with diligence. I think that fables are a very effective way to teach core lessons about how to navigate life choices. Sadly we no longer have time for them.

[Ahmed Ibrahim · Rating 4 out of 5]

هذه المرة تقدم مجلة الدوحة هدية مميزة لقرائها، حكايات مختارة من أشعار لافونتين الشاعر الفرنسي والذي استقاها بدوره من الإغريقي إيسوب، وحكايات إيسوب ليست غريبة عنا، فقد أخذنا منها في طفولتنا الكثير، فمن منا لا يعرف قصة الأرنب والسلحفاة وقصص مكر الثعالب والذئاب، هذه القصص البسيطة المحملة بالحكمة الإغريقية، بالإضافة إلى بعض التصرفات التي يقوم بها لافونتين على نصوص إيسوب.
حكايات ممتعة وخفيفة على القلب وبها الكثير من الحكمة والسخرية. وترجمة جبرا للنصوص ممتازة.

[Youssef Al Brawy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

[Ali Mohamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple but meaningful.

[أســامة أحمد معوض · Rating 5 out of 5]

حكايات على طريقة كليلة ودمنة ...
على لسان الحيوانات.. وكما ذكر
المترجم فالمؤلف ذكر بأنه أخذ بعض
من هذه القصص من كتب تراثية عربية وغير عربية
وكتبها بأسلوبه هو الخاص وربما أيضا بتصرف...
الحكايات ممتعة وذكية أيضا

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exquisitely sophisticated, diverse collection of classic fables tailored for a contemporary audience.

These beautifully sensitive and evocative tales are an impressive anthology {of translated} works for the modern age. La Fontaine matches the original subtlety and inventiveness of each fable, whilst injecting a fresh outlook that’s respectful to such classic works. This selection ranges from 1668 to 1693 and contains a full range of subjects and themes, each accompanied by majestic engravings by Gustave Doré that bring the words vividly to life. This book contains some of the best-loved and greatest French poetic work that derive from the traditional folktales of Aesop and various orental sources. It is a conglomeration of English diction transcending boundaries by celebrating and enhancing the power of poetry, through wit and satirical clichés and irony. Although many children {including myself} are read traditional tales…like ‘the tortoise and the hare’ for instance, I would state how this contemporary collection is more suited to the adult reader – who can greatly appreciate the iconic take on contemporary society.

“They say, and I believe, the world is old; it still must be diverted like a child” – quote

The visions and inspiration behind each fable is truly remarkable, as too is the literary artistry; with the combination of both giving life to the inner messages and meaning of the story. As a child I was read Aesop’s fables at bedtime and so fond nostalgic memories and deep-rooted emotion have been pulled from me, having delved into this delicious delight that re-awoke the past. The enchanting cover and delicate drawings add that stylish, elegant touch to this collection of timeless and eternally cherished tales that will live long in the hearts of many.

The Cock and the Pearl

Scratching for food, a cock once found
a pearl half-buried in the ground.
He took it to the jeweller down the street,
And said: “It’s very pretty, I can see,
But still, some corn that I can eat
Is much more suitable for me.”

An ignoramus once possessed
A manuscript from some bequest.
He to it to a bookseller to sell,
And said: “I know it’s written very well.
But money I can spend will be
A lot more suitable for me.”

I won a hardback copy of Jean De La Fontaine’s book: Selected Fables on Goodreads, through a first-read giveaway.

The Lion and the rat

Be kind if possible to one and all:
we often need the help of someone small…

Emerging from the Earth without much thought
Between a Lion’s claws a rat was caught.
But showing what a monarch ought to be
The King of Beasts, the time, let him go free.
…Thus patience will with time at length
accomplish more than rage and strength!

[Bookish Dervish · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب مميز لعدة أسباب. أولها أني أختم به هذفي بقراءة ثمانين كتاب هذه السنة، و ثانيها أني ظللت أأجل الكتاب- و هو حقا كتاب مميز- إلى أن شاء الله تعالى ثم آخرها أن رفيقي في القراءة الكتاب هو إبني و قرة عيني أبو المغيرة و هو أول كتاب يختمه هذا الفتى ذي السنين السبع. ترجمة الكتاب جيدة خلا بعض المقاطع التي استهجنت فيها اختيارات الأستاذ جبرا ابراهيم جبرا و التي ، برأيي، لا تفسد الدرس الأخلاقي المستفاد من كل قصيدة و لا تُنقص من متعة قراءة الكتاب

[د · Rating 1 out of 5]

بعض القصص لا بأس بها و البعض الآخر يدعوا للسلبية و الانبطاح مباشرة.
الترجمة ربما نقلت القصة كاملة، لكن من المفترض أن هذه القصص مكتوبة في صورة أهازيج، و لا يكفي تصفيف الكلام في شكل عمودي للإيهام بوجود موسيقى او سجع أو جرس، ترجمة غير مناسبة إطلاقاً لطبيعة النص.

[Achraf Taoussi · Rating 4 out of 5]

لطالما اردت ان اطالع هذا الكتاب من مكتبة والدي. لازلت اتذكر الغلاف القديم و البالي و كتابته الفرنسية كانما كتبت بخط اليد la fontaine. لاكن فرنسيتي حالت ذون ذالك. ثم ما لبث ان وجدت النسخة مترجمة و الحق يقال انه عندما تترجم الشعر يغيب جل جماليته او كله. لاكن العبرة هاهنا في القصص و العبر خلفها لا في المتعة الشعرية لنص.

و الكتاب اللذي بين ايدينا كتاب يناسب جميع الفئات العمرية- خاصة الاطفال- لتقوية خيال الطفل و كذالك لتشبته ببعض من العبر على المدى الطويل. ولم يكن في علمي ان الكثير من القصص نسبها الى هدا الكتاب مثل قصة جحا و الحمار. كليلة و دمنة. الصرار و النملة… ولا اظنها سرقة ادبية كون الكاتب كذالك قد اخد كل القصص من حكيم اسمه ايسوب ٤ قرون قبل الميلاد ثم اعطا كل دي قصة نكهتها الفرنسية الخاصة.

و الحكمة هنا انه ان اختلف الراوي او عربت القصة ف الهذف واحد اخد الحكمة و العبرة من الحيوانات و اقحامها عند تعاملنا في الحياة اليومية…

[Lucie Marielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un classique

[Althea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jean de la Fontaine is a must-read for anyone interested in folktales and fables throughout history.

The 17th-century poet took various tales from Aesop, Greek myth, and various other sources and set them to verse. Here, they appear in English translation. While the presentation of the stories and their social commentary is witty; I didn't find the 'poetry' of the language to be that engaging - the rhyme could be distracting, and the phrasing was often clunky. I don't know if this has to do with the original or the translation; I suspect a combination of both.

For French poems in translation; I tend to prefer a side-by-side presentation - even if one understands little of the original language, one can read to get an idea of the sound and rhythm of the original. However, I'm sure the originals are available freely online, for those motivated to look them up.

The selected fables presented here (apparently, the book includes about half of de la Fontaine's fabulist output) are prefaced by a very nice academic essay on the author, which really helps place the writing in context. There are also liberal endnotes mentioning the source (if known), and references found in each fable. I might've preferred if the notes relating to each story were found adjacent to the relevant section, but overall, this was fine.

A recommended volume.

I received a copy of this title through NetGalley. Thanks to NetGalley and Oxford University Press.

[Jonathan Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been said of la Fontaine's Fables that they appeal to three ages: the child finds joy in the story, the student in the art with which it is told, and the adult in the reflections on life that it conveys. As always, both child and adult will be satisfied with Christopher Betts' translation, but, as with all foreign language texts in translation, students will be left wanting more.
I am loath to criticise a translation of a text - particularly poetry - that I haven't read in the original, so I have tried to restrict my comments to the fluidity of the verse where it can be divorced from the accuracy of the translation. Betts freely admits in his opening note that any translation will fall short of the naturalness and ease of the original, but his verse is strong and measured and rarely causes the reader to stumble. He has, at times, resorted to archaic turns-of-phrase which can damage the poetry, but I trust the translator when he assures us that these cannot be avoided!
The poems are presented alongside Gustave Dore's etchings which lend wonderful charm to the work, the explanatory notes are thorough and these, combined with the biography in the introduction, give the reader an in-depth background to the historical setting in which la Fontaine was writing. This is a well-rounded and skilled translation that I would highly recommend.

[Hany Adeeb · Rating 3 out of 5]

حكايات من الادب القديم للحكيم ايسوب و الادب الفارسي و البابلي.. قدمها لافونتين احد اعظم شعراء فرنسا 🇫🇷

و قصص اخلاقية على نفس نمط كليلة و دمنة.. فيها قصص حيوانات تحدثك عن الحكمة و الامانة و العمل و خطورة الغدر و الغباء و خيانة العهد

و مملؤة بالحكمة و في صورة هزلية.. و من الواضح تاثرها بالاداب الفارسية و العربية..

[فاطمة غانم الابراهيم · Rating 4 out of 5]

هذا النوع من الكتب تقرأها وأنت مستلقي على سريرك بعد يوم شاق
لا ترغب سوى أحلاماً سعيدة كحكايات لافونتين

:)

[Elicheva Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

The same thing happened for Jean de la fontaine , I studied it in primary school and never really got into it until I had to portray the fox in a play for my class and got caught up by the passion.
The next day I remember skipping break to stay in the lobby's school to read fables.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zmeraj simpatični La Fontaine, tokrat po slovensko. Gospa, ki v naš jezik izvrstno prestavlja klasicistične tragede, je tudi tu poskrbela za soliden prevod, a v bistvu preferiram izvirnike teh basni v verzih. Posamične basni so v slovenščini prav nerodne, čeprav ne verjamem, da bi lahko bila kriva Marija Javoršek. Zanimiva je tudi spremna beseda, čeprav so glavni del knjige seveda pesmi: Mezgà, Volk in Pes, Smrt in drvar, Lisjak in Štorklja, Glineni in železni lonec, Vrtičkar in njegov gospod ...

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fables are written in verse, and I'm sure it's better in the original French. The translator made what I'm sure is a heroic effort, but the English versions don't always work--they're usually fine, occasionally excellent, and sometimes utterly awful.

The fables themselves were mostly familiar to me--I recognized them from Aesop. A couple were less familiar, but there are so many in Aesop I may just have forgotten them. I was charmed once or twice.

I'm going to put the rest of this review behind a spoiler tag, not because of spoilers, but because I want to talk about the illustrations & I'm going to use a word that begins with D and rhymes with sticks and has the form d-cks. Because there are a LOT OF THEM.

There's a Netflix mockumentary called American Vandal that repeatedly asks the question, "Who drew the dicks?" I kept thinking of that because for some reason, every human pictured in this book (which uses line drawings) is naked, and they all have dicks. The animals? They also almost ALWAYS have dicks (actually the full twigs-and-berries set). It's as though someone sat down and said, "You know what all these fables are missing? DICKS" and made sure every illustration was anatomically correct.

So the answer to "Who drew the dicks?" is Alexander Calder, the illustrator of this collection of fables. I can't tell you WHY, but that's WHO.

Like. It's an unusual choice, to draw a stag being eaten by hounds--that's usually not the part of a story you want people to picture?--but it's an even more unique choice to make sure every dick & ball is PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR on each and every mammal in the illustration.

I got nothin'.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

La Fontaine’s light verse -- versions of fables plundered mostly from ancient sources -- is clever and enjoyable, transforming the sometimes bland prose originals into entertaining nuggets for modern readers of all ages. He is clearly aiming these updated fables at his French contemporaries, with sometimes direct references to nobles and political figures. Just as in his source material, the lessons often still ring true through the centuries. Although I’m not overly enamored with the fable genre, I found these poems to be delightful to read. Many will be recognizable to readers, including the tortoise and the hare, the mountain that gave birth to the mouse, the fox and the crow, the elephant and the mouse, etc.

Of particular note regarding the Penguin edition is the dreadful introduction by Geoffrey Grigson, who writes a rambling, repetitive, surface-level summary of La Fontaine’s life and the fables. His casual tone jumps around discussions of La Fontaine’s life and influences instead of providing readers with a concise, methodical introduction of each, while his numerous quotations in French without translation defeat the purpose of a text aimed at English readers or students encountering La Fontaine for the first time. The lack of any critical notes is an unfortunate oversight.

[Rhys · Rating 2 out of 5]

My favourite writer of fables. La Fontaine turned the work of Aesop, Phaedrus, Bidpai and other fabulists into sparkling clever poems. He also invented some fables of his own. In verse form the fable seems more delightful than in its prose manifestation. This book is a selection of his fables and comprises about one quarter of all the fables La Fontaine published.

La Fontaine published his fables in six 'books'. There is a definite break in style, form and theme between the first six books of fables and the second six books. The first are more familiar to the modern reader, being mainly based on Aesop. The verses are crisp and pithy and clever. The second set of six are different in tone. They are more digressive and have broader sources of inspiration.

[M.Elshahawy · Rating 4 out of 5]

يا قصورا في الهواء،
من منا لا يبنيك وهما، عبثا؟
شراك نصبت لكل مجنون، وعاقل،
لكل امرئ أحلامه في اليقظة،
أفراحه التي يطوي عليها صدره،
إذ تفتنه أكذوبة لذيذة،
ويتراءى له أنه سيد الدنيا وألاعيبها،
أموالها، ونسائها.
كلما كنت بمفردي، كنت الجرئ المغامر
أمشي في الأرض عتيا
أنتف لحي أكبر شيخ في المحلة،
بل أنا الملك المفدي من رعية تعبدني،
والدنانير تمطر علي من السماء.
ولكن أقل صوت ينبهني.
وإذا الكل يزول، وإذا أنا
ذلك المسكين الذي هو -دوما- أنا!.

[Arthur Fan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i first came into De La Fontaine's fables
when i was in p1 or p2 in Lyon..

copied a poem on one page,
then drew a nice picture on the page across.
in my notebook, with a waterman for kids, wearing a blouse for kids, incase we got ink on us.

i had a great childhood in Lyon, will never forget those days...

[Israa · Rating 3 out of 5]

يتحكم فينا ما فُطِرنا عليه،
إلى أن نموت.
خِصالنا ترفض الترويض،
وعبثًا يحاول المرء خلاصًا،
بإرادته، من هذه القسرية المحتومة،
طبائعنا قيود لا تنفصم،
لا السياط ولا العقارب ولا الحروق
تزحزحها عما كانت عليه،
اطردها من الباب،
تجد أنها، من النافذة، تعود.

[Stuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

'The Raven's role is storm-diving'

'For the world of fiction's full of virgin spaces,
And every day our authors plant new spaces'

[Ahmed Salim · Rating 5 out of 5]

حكايات على لسان إنسان تارة وأكثر على الحيوان من اروع ما أختار لافونتين ومن أجمل ما قال آيسوب مع ترجمة وسرد سلس لجبرا إبراهيم جبرا ...تناسب كل الاعمار من الطفل الى الشيخ ...

[روان يوسف · Rating 3 out of 5]

لطيف جدًا...

[Kareem Mohsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

قصص بديعة وذكية، مليئة بالخفة والمرح، وترجمة عظيمة لجبرا إبراهيم جبرا

[Keith Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable translations, that also appear to be faithful to the original (at least in the couple I was able to compare). So easy to dismiss fables as simply a taste of the past, with their personified animals, trees, etc. And the easy morals that La Fontaine is famous for drawing.

But what hit me in this reading is how funny many of them are. Maybe not slap your knee funny, but they will make you smile. And that is obviously the intention, rather than any easy moralizing. La Fontaine is willing to comment on lots of things, including the nature of his own art. Here's the beginning of "The Miller, His Son and the Donkey":

Art being our inheritance, we're in debt
To ancient Greece for the fable-form; and yet
The field has not been harvested so clean
That late arrivers can't find ears to glean,
For the world of fiction's full of virgin spaces,
And every day our authors plant new places.

This Penguin edition includes an early 19th century etching with each fable, but the etchings are reproduced so poorly that often appear like lumps of mud. That could probably be blamed on the quality of the paper in this edition, or on the costs to make the etchings clearer. Still it seems a waste. I would have happily paid a few bucks more to get clearer images.

[Socrate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vulpea şi strugurii

Pribeaga si lihnita
De foame, da de-o vie
Cu niste struguri rumeni, frumosi,
De razachie.
Ciorchinii-s plini si vulpea,
De sine înteles,
Ar fi mâncat cu pofta
Si nici n-ar fi ales...
Dar la-ndemâna labei
O-mpiedica s-ajunga
Pâna la ei zabreaua ulucilor, prea lunga,
Si ghimpii-n care gardul e prins si împletit;
Ciorchinele-i aproape de bot; s-a tot sucit,
S-a ridicat: se-nteapa
Si-i lasa gura apa...
- Ce struguri verzi si acri, ofteaza,
Nu-s de teapa!
Si-s prea cruzi...
Mie, ce-mi place-i gustul de stafida,
Nu-mi strepezesc eu dintii cu aceasta agurida...

[Gastjäle · Rating 2 out of 5]

La Fontaine n'a pas plein de choses de dire: les deux sources de la toute douleur sont l'orgueil et la stupidité, c'est les forts qui écrirent les règles, les aspirations aux niveaux plus élevés sont inutiles et la cour est le pire endroit dans le monde.

En plus, la plupart de ces contes est empruntée; ce que La Fontaine a ajouté est de la poésie et quelques remarques supposément mordantes. Mais pour moi, ces mètres, ces rimes, ils sont seulement des divagations ornées qui enflent la sagacité simple et franche d'Ésope (et al.). Et de toute façon, je n'ai pas trouvé le vers de La Fontaine particulièrement beau.

[Ashley T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the effort that went into translating these stories, and that there was a detailed image for each one! Sometimes the translations were a bit clunky, however, since they were written as if they were poetry, but the rhythm did not work out well. However this is a good collection of moral tales from France, for those who are interested. There were some wise pieces of advice sprinkled throughout.