Don Juan : comedy in five acts, 1665 /

When the highly successful Tartuffe was chased from the stage by religious militants who saw sacrilege in it instead of satire, Moliere reactively adapted an established, moralistic hit, the Spaniard Tirso de Molina's Burlador de Sevilla, the story of the damnation of the seducer Don Juan. He wrote Don Juan in prose, with all the sharpness, gusto, and flair for comedy, high and low, of his verse masterpieces. Wilbur has translated six of Moliere's verse plays better for both stage and page than has anyone else, and he serves Don Juan's prose equally well, allowing Moliere's piquant, disquieting ambiguities full play. Don Juan appears as at once the most intelligent and attractive character and a scoundrel who thoroughly deserves being dragged to Hell by the commander's statue. The supporting characters are all simultaneously pitiable dupes and risible, often hypocritical fools. The crowning contradiction is the play's happy, hence comedic, ending, achieved by the tragedy of its hero's damnation. The bluenoses weren't amused, of course, and forced early closing on Don Juan, too. --Ray Olson

This new translation of Molire's long-suppressed 17th-century prose comedy Don Juan by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Wilbur is an engaging addition to his many translations of Molire's plays, such as Misanthrope and Tartuffe. Based on folk legend, Don Juan, the "Seducer of Seville," was a charming nobleman completely lacking in scruples who defied both faith and social convention only to suffer damnation in the end. His moral deficiencies are seen through his hideous deeds, which are closely observed and revealed by his valet, Sganarelle. As a social satire, the play implies the bigotry of upper-class French society of the time. The skillful presentation of dialog, especially that of the middle class and peasants, contributes most of the comic effect. Wilbur's translation brings this timeless classic to life for modern English readers and theater audiences. His valuable introduction provides an excellent critical analysis of the play. Recommended for both academic and public libraries.DMing-ming Kuo, Ball State Univ. Lib., Muncie, IN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.