ABSTRACT
Pascale Verèb, in her important study Alexis Piron, poète (1689-1773); ou, la difficile condition d'auteur sous Louis XV, does not neglect the dramatic works, but, as her title indicates, her main centres of interest are Piron's life and his poetic writings. The invention, variety, and depth of interest of his writing for the theatre have led to concentrate exclusively on that aspect of his literary creation, paying special attention to issues of identity and how it can be concealed and transformed, a particular focus of interest for Piron. Any work on Piron to be written since the appearance of Pascale Verèb's Alexis Piron, poète must acknowledge a debt: her study is particularly valuable for her bibliographical research and the information she gives about first performances of the works for the Fairs and the Italians. The issue of topicality is also a potential problem with regard to many of Piron's works.
