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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent resource for people learning French
Review: Translator Stanley Appelbaum has done an excellent job of preparing a readable, but reasonably literal translation of two very different but often-performed plays by Moliere. And his brief introduction gives sufficient background to help the reader jump into the reading of the plays. I chose this edition as a way to brush up on my college French prior to my trip to Paris, so I especially appreciated having the French and English on facing pages with each line perfectly lined up. The generous white space around the text was great for taking notes. Sometimes the simplest book designs are the best! Kudos to Dover Press.
Rating: 
Summary: Great play, awful translation
Review: Well, I can't fault the quality of "Tartuffe" itself. It's a charming, well-written play that still holds up after the passings of time. Also, the inclusion of the French and English absolutely corresponding to each other does make this a decent French teaching aid.However, the translation is sorely lacking. There is no attempt to make any sort of verse translation, resulting in a flat, uninspired prose work. Beyond that, however, much of the phrasing is awkward and stilted. It seems to be faithful to the French original, but a great deal is lost when the only aim is to provide a literal rendering. In short, this book is more useful for stimulating the appetite for the much better Richard Wilbur translation. This edition may serve its purpose as a teaching tool, but it is a less than impressive read on its own.
Rating:
Summary: Great play, awful translation
Review: Well, I can't fault the quality of "Tartuffe" itself. It's a charming, well-written play that still holds up after the passings of time. Also, the inclusion of the French and English absolutely corresponding to each other does make this a decent French teaching aid. However, the translation is sorely lacking. There is no attempt to make any sort of verse translation, resulting in a flat, uninspired prose work. Beyond that, however, much of the phrasing is awkward and stilted. It seems to be faithful to the French original, but a great deal is lost when the only aim is to provide a literal rendering. In short, this book is more useful for stimulating the appetite for the much better Richard Wilbur translation. This edition may serve its purpose as a teaching tool, but it is a less than impressive read on its own.
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