DOCTOR RABELAIS

by D. B. Wyndham Lewis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 11, 1957

This rather curious little volume about Francois Rabelais, his works and his times, is an exposition and expose of the Rabelaisian myth. Up to now, most people were inclined to believe that Rabelais, if not an atheist, was an agnostic, a critic of the Church and the abuses of monasticism, one of the great humanists. Not at all, according to the ""modern"" criticism of this book; Rabelais was a good and devout Catholic, his humanism was scarcely skin deep, he was no paladin of light against darkness or of reason against superstition; and above all, he was not the author of the Fifth book, a diatribe against the Catholic Church. Whether or not this is so, the main purpose of this book is to try and bring Rabelais back into the fold of the Catholic church, by laughing him off lightly and cutting his humanism down to size. It is a straw in the wind of the new, clever Catholic criticism- and the author's 15th century is an entertaining dress for this thesis.

Pub Date: Sept. 11, 1957

ISBN: 116613198X

Page Count: -

Publisher: Sheed & Ward

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1957

Categories: NONFICTION