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2000ace's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book in French class, and I thought it was hilarious at the time. Sixteen is probably a good year to read Rabelais. My sense of humor at the time was probably much closer to his than it would be if I read it now. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this book. Besides, how could you get tired of the codpiece jokes? This is the only book I have ever read that had any of them in it.
grahamiam's review against another edition
Cool to see influence on Tristram Shandy (and maybe Moby Dick?), but ultimately not an enjoyable read besides the litanies on bodily functions.
chalicotherex's review against another edition
4.0
It's funny in parts, tedious in others.
He's a scatological giant who rips on the scientific method by conducting an experiment on what's good to wipe your ass with (cats and roses are soft but also scratchy, he settles on swans). The maids all want to knead his big baby dick like it's bread, which is weird, and Paris gets its name because he pisses on it, drowning a ton of people, and the survivors laugh so much (par ris). There are a bunch of lists of silly names, and he has fun coming up with keyboard smashing numbers (e.g. 12,232,424 people died, not including women and children). What else? A bunch of dead people and institutions get satirized, he has a philosophical debate about if he should get married (it's better to have a wife, but all husbands end up cuckolds), he keeps going off on lawyers (there's an island of lawyers who feed on never-ending cases), and there's a bunch of stuff that Aleister Crowley ripped off for his thelemic claptrap (do what thou wilt).
Anyway, keep this book to yourself because the alt-right magachuds will steal all the good cuck jokes.
He's a scatological giant who rips on the scientific method by conducting an experiment on what's good to wipe your ass with (cats and roses are soft but also scratchy, he settles on swans). The maids all want to knead his big baby dick like it's bread, which is weird, and Paris gets its name because he pisses on it, drowning a ton of people, and the survivors laugh so much (par ris). There are a bunch of lists of silly names, and he has fun coming up with keyboard smashing numbers (e.g. 12,232,424 people died, not including women and children). What else? A bunch of dead people and institutions get satirized, he has a philosophical debate about if he should get married (it's better to have a wife, but all husbands end up cuckolds), he keeps going off on lawyers (there's an island of lawyers who feed on never-ending cases), and there's a bunch of stuff that Aleister Crowley ripped off for his thelemic claptrap (do what thou wilt).
Anyway, keep this book to yourself because the alt-right magachuds will steal all the good cuck jokes.
reebeee's review against another edition
challenging
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
clever, dense, often allegorical - just too many poop jokes for me to really enjoy it
the translation's great though
the translation's great though
nikkigee81's review against another edition
4.0
I started reading this in 2010, only to put it down after the second book. I finally picked it up again, starting over because I didn't remember a thing.
This book is brilliant, it's long, bawdy, sometimes downright obscene in its turns of phrase, full of made-up words, mythology, and so much more.
But it's not for everyone. There are times when it would get a little tedious, but I would keep reading and find something to make me laugh.
This book is brilliant, it's long, bawdy, sometimes downright obscene in its turns of phrase, full of made-up words, mythology, and so much more.
But it's not for everyone. There are times when it would get a little tedious, but I would keep reading and find something to make me laugh.
autumnesf's review against another edition
1.0
I hated this book. Really, really. I feel dumber for sticking it out to the end. Ugh. It was a bunch of non-sense and rather crude even.
shardan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
angrysmileyface's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
booktrotting's review against another edition
dnf'd after 500 pages so I'm counting it as read- die mad. Was assigned Pantagruel, Gargantua and Third Book of Pantagruel for class.
brucefarrar's review against another edition
1.0
What was biting satire in 16th century France was for this 21st century reader a tedious conglomeration of scatological, crude and misogynistic humor. It was a real chore to finish this one. I haven’t forced myself to read a more boring book since finishing Ulysses by James Joyce. I was not surprised to learn that Joyce was influenced by Rabelais. From now on I’ll stick to Captain Underpants for potty humor.