This is a systematic investigation of the earliest work of Rabelais" Pantagrueline epics. Combining textual analysis with attention to intellectual, cultural and literary contexts, Duval shows that, contrary to popular opinion, the "Pantagruel" is a coherent work in which every episode is indispensable to the whole. By considering the place and function of each episode within the work"s larger design, Duval solves many old cruxes of Rabelais criticism and discovers new meanings. In concluding, he demonstrates that the "Pantagruel"s" low style and popular culture are integrated into its redemptive design and essential to its radically evangelical purpose.