The Praise of Folly
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"First published in Paris in 1511, The Praise of Folly enjoyed enormous and highly controversial success from the author's lifetime down to our own day. The Praise of Folly has no rival, except perhaps Thomas More's Utopia, as the most intense and lively presentation of the literary, social, and theological aims and methods of Northern Humanism. Clarence H. Miller's highly praised translation of The Praise of Folly, based on the definitive Latin text, echoes Erasmus' own lively style while retaining the nuances of the original text. In his Introduction, Miller places the work in the context of Erasmus as humanist and theologian. In a new Afterword, William H. Gass playfully considers the meaning, or meanings, of folly and offers fresh insights into one of the great books of Western literature."--BOOK JACKET.
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A satire from the 16th century told from the perspective of Folly herself, and a criticism against pretentiousness and those who take themselves and their world too seriously. Life is made bearable by a bit of irrationality, a bit of foolishness. Do not let fear of understanding put you off from reading this. The language is certainly playful (which I loved), but it is not overly difficult to make sense of. Having some basic knowledge of Greek gods/deities will help a lot, and some familiarity with the Bible for the final third, but other than that it is fairly straightforward. The opening third was the strongest and funniest, the rest felt a little repetitive, as if the point had already been made. The narrator as a personification of Folly was certainly fun, but I do question how closely she represented “Folly” or “Madness” as it was understood in Erasmus' time.
