King Ubu by Alfred Jarry

"King Ubu" is a satirical play that centers around the grotesque and absurd character, Père Ubu, who is manipulated by his ambitious wife to seize power in Poland. Once king, Ubu's reign is marked by greed, cruelty, and incompetence, leading to chaos and violence. The play employs absurdity and farce to critique power and corruption, using exaggerated characters and surreal scenarios to highlight the folly and destructiveness of tyrannical rule. This pioneering work is often considered a precursor to the Theatre of the Absurd and has had a lasting influence on avant-garde theatre.

The 1735th greatest book of all time

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Total Points: 220

Since this book was first published in 1896, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 220.0.

This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.