Erotika Biblion

Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de MirabeauProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 221K words
Chapters: 23

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.Erotika Biblion by comte de Honoré-Gabriel de Riqueti MirabeauAuthor: Mirabeau, Honoré-Gabriel de Riqueti, comte de, 1749-1791,Language: German, Class: HQ: Social sciences: The family, Marriage, Sex and Gender, Release Date: Aug 11, 2013

Editor's review

Erotika Biblion is a treatise by the Comte de Mirabeau, written in German, dealing with biblical texts and sexual topics and classified under the social sciences of family, marriage, and gender. It is not a popular work but a text in the argumentative style of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, using biblical material to discuss desire, marriage institutions, and religious interpretation, and it has value for intellectual history and as a document. In reading it one sees the author's wide-ranging references and sharp tone, reflecting the era's concern with the relation between sex and religion while also carrying clear period limitations and controversial expressions. For readers studying Enlightenment thought, gender history, or religious criticism, it is primary material for understanding the discourse of the time; for general readers the threshold is high and requires historical background knowledge and a critical reading attitude.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars studying Enlightenment thought and eighteenth-century religious criticism
Researchers and advanced students concerned with gender history and the history of marriage institutions
Readers of literature and history with German reading ability who want to engage with primary documents
Advanced readers interested in the history of biblical interpretation and secularization

Not a good fit for

General readers hoping for light stories or popular science
Readers lacking historical background who may mistake the text's views for modern conclusions
Learners who find German difficult and are unwilling to use translations or notes
Readers sensitive to religion and sexual topics who do not wish to engage with controversial arguments

Reading tips

Read an introduction or relevant intellectual-history background first, then enter the main text to avoid misreading out of context
Mark the cited biblical passages as you read and compare them with the original to understand how the author reuses them
Place controversial views back in the eighteenth-century context and distinguish historical material from personal stance
Read alongside works on gender history or Enlightenment studies for cross-reference

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.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or an academic treatise?

It is closer to an argumentative treatise, discussing biblical texts and topics such as sex and marriage in the speculative style of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment; it is not a plot-driven novel and requires some historical and religious background knowledge.

Why was this book published in German?

The source indicates this edition is in German. Mirabeau's original was in French, and this German version is part of its transmission and reception history. Readers studying textual circulation may note differences among language editions, but need the corresponding language ability.

What barriers does this book pose for general readers?

The main barriers are historical context and language. The book draws heavily on biblical allusions and eighteenth-century religious controversy, so lacking background makes it easy to misunderstand the author's intent; German reading also demands a high level. Reading a relevant introduction first is advised before deciding whether to go deeper into the main text.

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About the author

Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau Author · French · 1749–1791

Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau (1749–1791), was a French writer, orator and statesman, and a leader of the constitutional monarchists in the early years of the French Revolution. Born into a noble family at Le Bignon, he earned a scandalous reputation in his youth for his dissolute life. After being elected a deputy to the Estates-General in 1789 he rose rapidly, advocating a constitutional monarchy on the British model. He died in Paris in 1791, and his remains were later removed from the Panthéon. Six of his works are held here, mostly on erotic and libertine themes, such as Erotika Biblion and Le Rideau levé ou l'Education de Laure; their style is bold and explicit, echoing his early reputation, though public information on their circulation and influence is limited.