{"product_id":"the-imaginary-invalid","title":"The Imaginary Invalid","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat if your father's cure for his fear of dying is to marry you to a doctor?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Molière's comedy-ballet The Imaginary Invalid, Argan is healthy, wealthy and certain he is gravely ill. His days revolve around remedies and medical bills. Now he wants his daughter Angélique to marry Thomas Diafoirus, a doctor in training, for the sake of his own comfort.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut Angélique loves Cléante, and the quick-witted maid Toinette refuses to let Argan's fears rule unchallenged. His brother Béralde offers calm doubt while doctors parade their learning. From the opening reckoning of medical bills to the Diafoiruses' stiff ceremonial visit, the play asks who gains when fear takes charge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat you'll discover\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA sickroom ruled by bills\u003c\/strong\u003e – Watch Argan count the cost of remedies while remaining utterly devoted to his supposed illness.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA maid who talks back\u003c\/strong\u003e – Meet Toinette, whose sharp tongue challenges her master's ailments and helps protect Angélique.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLove against a prescription\u003c\/strong\u003e – Follow Angélique as she resists a marriage arranged for her father's comfort rather than her happiness.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLearned words, foolish displays\u003c\/strong\u003e – Enjoy the Diafoiruses' ceremonial visit, where stiff compliments and grand learning become comic targets.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFear beneath the laughter\u003c\/strong\u003e – Discover a satire of medical authority, with songs and dances between the acts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for readers who enjoy quick, sharp comedy, plays that read well aloud, and satire that speaks to present-day worries about health.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpen the first page and enter Argan's sickroom, where every remedy brings another reason to laugh.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Library of Alexandria Press","offers":[{"title":"eBook","offer_id":58289168089436,"sku":"LOA-C12-EB","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":58289168122204,"sku":"LOA-C12-AU","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":58289168154972,"sku":"LOA-C12-PB","price":12.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":58289168187740,"sku":"LOA-C12-HC","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/9442\/8764\/files\/loa-top-00012-en_eb808ede-54ad-4a73-86a5-e713594a805f.jpg?v=1792697455","url":"https:\/\/libraryofalexandria.com\/fr\/products\/the-imaginary-invalid","provider":"The Library of Alexandria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}