Histoire amoureuse des Gaules suivie des Romans historico-satiriques du XVIIe

Roger de Rabutin, comte de BussyProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.8
Word count
714K words
Chapters
72

Tags

Foreign Language Books Historical FictionForeign Literature Historical ReappraisalLove EntanglementsPower GameComplex HumanitySocial CritiqueSatirical StyleSocial Observation

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Histoire amoureuse des Gaules; suivie des Romans historico-satiriques du XVIIeAuthor: Bussy, Roger de Rabutin, comte de, 1618-1693,Language: French, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Sep 30, 2012

Editor's review

This book is the Histoire amoureuse des Gaules by the seventeenth-century French writer Bussy-Rabutin, together with his historical satirical novels. Drawing on the love intrigues of the court and high society, and blending innuendo with satire, it is an important text for understanding seventeenth-century French court culture, salon taste, and the prose fiction of the period. Its distinction lies in placing the "history of love" alongside "historical satire": it offers both narrative emotional entanglements and veiled mockery of real figures, producing a unique blend of memoir, fiction, and satire. Reading it requires some knowledge of French history and literature; otherwise one is easily lost among the names, events, and allusions. It suits scholars of French literature, enthusiasts of seventeenth-century history and culture, and readers curious about the early forms of the French classical novel. Reading it alongside historical background materials is recommended, treating it as a literary text with historical value rather than a light story.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. Familiarize yourself with the court and salon background of Louis XIV's reign before entering the text; this reduces confusion over names and events.
  2. As you read, list the main figures and the people they allude to, making a simple relationship chart to help clarify the narrative threads.
  3. Mark love narrative and satirical passages separately, and appreciate the style and intent of each mode on its own terms.
  4. Do not try to finish it in one sitting; proceed chapter by chapter, reviewing the historical background and satirical targets after each part.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
  47. 47
  48. 48
  49. 49
  50. 50
  51. 51
  52. 52
  53. 53
  54. 54
  55. 55
  56. 56
  57. 57
  58. 58
  59. 59
  60. 60
  61. 61
  62. 62
  63. 63
  64. 64
  65. 65
  66. 66
  67. 67
  68. 68
  69. 69
  70. 70
  71. 71
  72. 72

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a historical source? It falls between the two. Using courtly love stories as its frame, it incorporates allusions to and satire of contemporary figures, combining literary fiction with historical traces. It is best read as a literary text with historical value.
Can I read it without a background in French history? You can, but it will be difficult. The names, events, and allusions depend on background knowledge; without it, the threads are easily lost. It is advisable to read a brief history of the seventeenth-century French court first, or to consult relevant scholarship alongside the text.
Why does the book also include historical satirical novels? This arrangement lets readers see the author shifting between love narrative and satire. Together the two parts display the tastes and literary style of seventeenth-century French high society and reflect the close relationship between literature and reality in the period.
Is it suitable as French-learning material? Not really for beginner or intermediate learners. The text is early, its syntax and vocabulary are distant from modern French, and it involves a great many historical figures. It is better suited to readers with a solid foundation in French who are reading for literary study.

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About the author

Roger de Rabutin, comte de Bussy Author · French · 1618–1693

Roger de Rabutin, comte de Bussy (1618–1693), was a French memoirist and soldier. Born in Epiry and died in Autun, he served as a lieutenant general of light cavalry and was elected to the Académie française in 1665. That same year, having privately printed his Histoire amoureuse des Gaules, a work depicting scandalous court love affairs, he was imprisoned in the Bastille and exiled to Burgundy. His writings, centred on court intrigues and satirical historical fiction, are marked by a candid and mocking tone; the Histoire amoureuse des Gaules is the work that most provoked the authorities. He is also known for his voluminous correspondence and was a cousin of Madame de Sévigné. Four of his works are held in the collection. Public information is limited, and his literary influence rests mainly on the subject matter and controversy of the Histoire amoureuse des Gaules.