The Comic Romance

Paul Scarron's masterpiece recounts the adventures of a troupe of provincial itinerant actors, skillfully weaving comic anecdotes of their amorous exploits and the central love story between Leandre and his beloved Angelique into a rich and realistic tapestry depicting rural France. This milestone of picaresque literature spawned countless imitations in the 17th and 18th centuries, and was championed in the 19th century by eminent literary figures such as Theophile Gautier and Gerard de Nerval. Fully annotated, this edition is ideal for students.

Paul Scarron (1610–1660) was a French poet, dramatist, and novelist. Afflicted by a mysterious paralysis of his legs, he died without being able to finish the third and final part of his masterpiece, The Comic Romance. Jacques Houis teaches at The Brearley School in New York City.