I finished reading The Infant by Denís Fonvízin (1782; Nèdorosl’), a play in five acts. It is translated by Joshua Cooper and is the earliest play included in a collection of Russian theater titled Four Russian Plays.

This was a lot of fun to read. There was quite a bit of witty humor, social critique, and some real gems of human observation. The humor around the names of characters was quite effective (e.g. Tarasius Beast), and I enjoyed the process of getting to know the various characters’ personalities. I am always amazed how playwrights are able to convey so much characterization through little more than dialogue.

“I know, I know that human beings can’t be angels. But still, they needn’t be devils.”