The Barber of Seville/The Marriage of Figaro Book

"The Barber Of Seville," translated, and with a panegyric introduction on the life of Beaumarchais and the social import of his plays, by John Wood. This romantic comedy, a very short and predictable light farce, is brilliant; I laughed out loud several times. It's fast-paced, witty, subtle, deft, and even manages some brief commentary about the gap between rich and poor. I enjoyed it very much '-- the humor carries over into English and is timeless. Figaro, Figaro, Figaro --' a great character.

"The Marriage Of Figaro," also translated by John Wood. Although this play, the sequel to the above, is not as neatly drawn up as its antecedent, nevertheless it's impressive work. The humor is just as witty, and in general the scenes were adroit and fast-paced, although this lengthy play's plot is more tangled, and this stands in the way of the humor. The main difference in content between this play and the above is in this one, the injustices between nobles and their servants, and the skewed treatment of men and women, are more heavily accented. This play was put on in the 1780s, and first rumblings of equality must have been apparent. Some of the lines speak of the sentiments of Voltaire or Rousseau. Funny and socially important, this play is marvelous.