A new translation of a masterpiece of French literature and companion piece to Gargantua (also published by Hesperus) this is a key work for all students of French and European Literature Francois Rabelais holds a unique place in the history of world literature, and no more so than for his extraordinary satirical entertainment Gargantua and Pantagruel. Here the first of these volumes - Pantagruel - is presented in a new and lively translation. Pantagruel recounts the life a popular giant. From his portentous birth and colourful childhood, to his visit to Paris and his travels through Utopia, and not withstanding his enormous appetite, Pantagruel’s history is told with a breathtaking degree of gaiety and wit. Ingeniously coining new expressions, and with an unashamed obsession with bodily functions, Rabelais blends prose and poetry, the sacred and profound, to offer a heady satire of the religious society of his day. The result is a bawdy and brilliant celebration of life.