Paul and Virginia

Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-PierreProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 239K words
Chapters: 24

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.Paul ja Virginia by Bernardin de Saint-PierreAuthor: Saint-Pierre, Bernardin de, 1737-1814,Language: Finnish, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: May 2, 2009

Editor's review

This is the Finnish translation of Paul et Virginie, the representative work of French author Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, released free by Project Gutenberg. Set on the island of Mauritius in the 18th century, the novel tells the innocent and tragic love story of two young people raised in nature. The writing is lucid and elegant, and its descriptions of tropical scenery are full of sensibility; in the history of French literature it is regarded as an important work of pre-Romanticism and influenced later writers such as Chateaubriand. The value of this edition lies in offering a translation in a less widely studied language, suitable for readers working on translation history, comparative literature, or Finnish. It is best read as a classical pastoral tragedy, with attention to the intertwining of nature worship and moral instruction, rather than judged by the pacing of modern fiction. For ordinary Chinese readers interested in the shift in literary taste in the late French Enlightenment, reading it alongside a Chinese translation or the French original is advisable.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of French literature or comparative literature who need a translation in a less widely studied language for reference
Learners of Finnish who wish to consolidate their reading through a literary work
Literature enthusiasts interested in pre-Romantic pastoral fiction and exotic settings
Digital readers who collect public-domain ebooks from Project Gutenberg

Not a good fit for

Casual readers who read only Chinese and do not use translations or reference works
Readers expecting fast-paced plots or modern narrative techniques
Beginners who need annotations, introductions, and other scholarly aids

Reading tips

Gain some background in 18th-century French literature before starting the text, to better grasp its emotional tone
Read alongside a Chinese translation or the French original and note the word choices of the Finnish translation
Extract and closely read the nature descriptions to appreciate how the author conveys emotion through scenery
After finishing, look up basic knowledge of pre-Romanticism to understand the book's place in literary history

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

What language is this edition in?

This is a Finnish translation; the original is in French. The Project Gutenberg entry lists the language as Finnish, so it suits readers who know Finnish or are researching translation; Chinese readers will usually need to consult translations in other languages alongside it.

What is the story about, and is it suitable as a love story?

The novel tells of the innocent love between Paul and Virginie, who grow up in the natural setting of Mauritius, and its tragic ending, with a strong pastoral and sentimental flavor. It can be read as a classical love story, but its focus is more on views of nature and moral meaning than on intricate plot.

Why does this edition have no Chinese annotations?

Project Gutenberg provides public-domain electronic texts with the aim of preserving and freely distributing the original text, and usually adds no translation notes or introductions. Readers who need background knowledge should consult literary history materials themselves or choose an annotated edition.

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About the author

Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre Author · French · 1737–1814

Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre (1737–1814) was a French writer and botanist born in Le Havre. He served early in life as an army engineer and later lived on Mauritius; after returning to France he became closely associated with Rousseau. His best-known work, Paul et Virginie, depicts innocent love and the beauty of nature and is regarded as a precursor of the Romantic return-to-nature movement. He also wrote Études de la nature and La Chaumière indienne. Three of his works are held here, including English and Finnish translations of Paul et Virginie, which shows how widely the novel circulated. His writing often blends natural observation with sentimental feeling, and it influenced later nature writing and Romantic literature.