Rabelais’s Tiers livre des faicts et dicts heroïques du bon Pantagruel (Third Book of the Valiant Deeds and Words of the Good Pantagruel) ends by referring to a planned departure by the giant Pantagruel and his retainers who, having failed throughout the volume to resolve the dilemma of their friend Panurge’s marriage plans, determine to settle the issue by heading for the land of the Dive Bouteille (Holy Bottle), source of ultimate truth. There is good reason to believe that the author indeed drafted that journey as his conclusion to the said Tiers livre, but then jettisoned it in favour of a much more elaborate voyage intended to provide the substance of his Quart livre des faicts et dicts heroï…
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Citation: Parkin, John. "Quart Livre". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 September 2012 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2512, accessed 22 November 2024.]
