"The Life of Monsieur de Moliere": a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov

"The Life of Monsieur de Moliere" is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, which was published only after the author's death. Critics (contemporaries of the writer) appreciated the talent of genius, but the historical information in the work, in their opinion, was covered from an outdated position. The life and love of Monsieur de Moliere - the great French comedian - turned out to be a topic that is irrelevant for Soviet society.

Bulgakov's novel was published in the sixties thanks to the assistance of the writer's widow. It should be said that there are no hints of the vices of Soviet society in this work. The novel was not published during the life of Mikhail Afanasievich only because it lacked a Marxist position. What is the book "The Life of Monsieur de Moliere"? A summary of the individual chapters of the work is presented in the article.

The appearance of the light

The life of Monsieur de Moliere, Mikhail Bulgakov, was set out from the day when the great comediographer was born. The author discusses the birth of one of the geniuses who come to this world once in several centuries.

Moliere's creations will translate into all languages of the world. He will be imitated. About him will write books, create plays. But while he is just an unremarkable baby, the son of a court clerk. So the Russian writer talked about the birth of the founder of the comedy.

Parent's House

Father called Jean-Baptiste Poklen. He lived in a huge house, which was located in the heart of Paris, near the New Bridge. There were rumors that the upholsterer was extremely stingy and lent money at a high interest. So it or not, for certain it is not known. But when his son became a famous theatrical figure, he staged a play about the miser Arpagon. There is an assumption that the prototype for this hero was none other than the father of a comedian.

Love of the theater

The life of Monsieur de Moliere was marred by a first loss, which happened at a tender age. In the years when he was known among the Parisians as Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, Jr., his mother died unexpectedly. My father did not long grieve and soon married a second time.

The early period in Moliere's biography is not very noticeable. The future comedian graduated from the course of the parish school, where he studied the basics of arithmetic and Latin. Then he had to get acquainted with the father's case, so that later he could give it to his son. But fate decreed otherwise.

Once in the house of Poklen appeared someone Kresse. This respected husband had a court father-in-waiting for his new father-in-law. Moliere himself is like-minded. The fact is that it was this man who infected the novice wallpaper maker with his love for the theater. And whenever Kresse had a free evening, he took his young friend's hand and they were heading toward the building, in which the actors were tragedies, comedies and even a farce.

Disreputable profession

It is worth saying that the actors are people who have only been elated for the last 100-200 years. In the old days, there was no more antisocial phenomenon in society than hypocrisy. Mikhail Bulgakov did not fail to recall this in his novel. "The Life of Monsieur de Moliere," a summary of which is presented in this article, is a work devoted to a difficult fate. Jean-Baptiste Poklen went against the desire of his father. He abandoned the respected work of the upholsterer at the royal court and moved to the stage. Needless to say, the father did not approve of the son's wishes? But, alas, not everyone wants to be an upholsterer.

Lyceum

Several years the future comedian spent in the Lyceum of Louis the Great. He flatly refused to work in the shop, and then his father sent him to study. To knowledge, Jean-Baptiste Poklen, Jr., had a craving irresistible. Therefore, day and night zealously learned the texts of ancient Greek and Roman authors. From the walls of the Lyceum, the son of an upholsterer came out an extremely educated man. Could become a lawyer. However, the dream of the theater did not leave him.

The opal comediographer

"The Life of Monsieur de Moliere" is a historical work in which Mikhail Bulgakov presented a biography of a famous comedian with his usual humor. There is no political or any other implication, as has already been said, in the novel. But in it, along with irony, there is tragedy. The author of plays, which for three hundred years put in theaters around the world, during his lifetime was alone and was not understood by anyone.

In Moliere's life there were both ups and downs. His works were extolled and forbidden. For several months the author of immortal comedies spent in prison. Perhaps the topic that Bulgakov devoted to the novel "The Life of Monsieur de Moliere" was extremely close to the author. After all, the Russian writer, as well as the French theatrical figure, was not recognized by his contemporaries.

Criticism

Everyone who is familiar with the work and biography of Mikhail Bulgakov knows what role prominent writers of Moscow played in his life. In particular, critics, two of whom became prototypes of Latunsky and Lavrovich from the immortal "Master ...". In the novel about Moliere there is a chapter in which we are talking about a certain lampoon, which has the title "Hypochondriac". The author of this satirical work dedicated the life of the French comedian. At the same time he distorted the information from the biography of Moliere, but most importantly - he criticized all his activities. The comedian did not answer his abuser. But the libel had a depressing effect on him. Strangely enough, in the novel, which Bulgakov dedicated to Moliere, there is something autobiographical.

Moliere was buried without honors. He was a person, therefore, his place after death - beyond the fence of the cemetery. They buried him at night. In a small funeral procession, however, you could see very famous people: Lafontaine, Boileau. And some woman, passing by, from idle curiosity asked: "Who is buried?" Another replied: "Some Moliere ..."