A fictional biography of the great French comedy writer Jean-Baptiste Molière, written by Bulgakov with deep personal involvement. The book traces the path of a wandering actor who became the king’s favorite and the creator of immortal comedies—through triumphs and persecutions, court intrigue and censorship bans. This is a story about genius and power, about laughter for which freedom must be paid, and about the tragic confrontation of the artist with a hypocritical society.