La Fontaine

What do we know about Jean de La Fontaine, probably the greatest poet of the French language? With his talent as a storyteller and his joyous erudition, Erik Orsenna invites us all summer on France Inter to play truant with La Fontaine. Through his trip to Versailles and Château-Thierry, he paints a portrait of a La Fontaine libre or rebellious, faithful friend, bad husband, accumulating money and political quarrels, support of Fouquet, enemy of Colbert, loving life and "nice bodice" women. Master of water and forests and author of more than 300 writings, this nonchalant man masked a hard worker who loved the Parisian follies as much as his retirement in the countryside and who, while instructing the Grand Dauphin by his fables, defied the Court by his libertine tales.