Le Jeu d’Adam edited by Véronique Dominguez (review)

This is the fourteenth edition to date of a twelfth–century theatrical work also known as the Mystère d’Adam or the Ordo representacionis Ade. Dominguez justifies her decision to edit the text once more, in a series chiefly aimed at an undergraduate and postgraduate student audience, by the fact that she provides an accessible translation into French along with accessible, full notes and a glossary. Editing this work is difficult: the only surviving manuscript does not make it clear where the text ends, so Dominguez opts to include two of the texts that follow it, a procession of Prophets and other Old Testament figures who predict the Incarnation, the prophecy of the Sibyl, and the eschatological Dit des Quinze Signes. She thereby agrees to approach the Jeu d’Adam in terms of an arc that traces Christian history from Genesis to Apocalypse. In support of this and other editorial decisions, Dominguez includes a lengthy Introduction (136 pages), which could have done with some cutting and restructuring. At times it appears to be more concerned with the many debates concerning the Jeu d’Adam (its language, geographical origin, sources, audience, and performance) than with presenting key points and issues in a concise manner. There are some very good sections, such as the discussion of the manuscript’s possible geographical origins and its stress on musical performance, but this Introduction might also have been written more with a student or non–specialist reader in mind. Is it appealing for a novice reader to be welcomed into a preamble of such length with the subtitle ‘Banalités du Jeu d’Adam’ (p. 17)? More substantively, Dominguez’s edition provides an exceptionally full linguistic and textual apparatus, and it is very useful to see the emendations and grammatical points set out so clearly. However, in my view, some of the notes seem to reflect editorial decision making, even editorial shorthand, rather than supporting materials for the intended reader. For example, on page 248, note 3 reads: ‘Anisométrie? Heptasyllabe si “avoie” dissyllabique.’ It would be helpful if this note were expressed in a full sentence, but even more useful if a decision had been reached before going to press. On page 220 note 1, the editor provides a subjective comment about the value of line 223 to the poetry or the drama of the scene. It seems superfluous if the notes are designed to support comprehension and to clarify editorial decisions. In conclusion, this is a fine edition and translation of a complicated text, requiring slow and cautious reading.