More popular than the canon of the great Enlightenment philosophers were other books, also banned by the regime, written and sold "under the cloak." These formed a libertine literature that was a crucial part of the culture of dissent in the Old Regime. Robert Darnton explores the cultural and political significance of these "bad" books and introduces readers to three of the most influential illegal best-sellers, from which he includes substantial excerpts. Winner of the 1995 National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism.
Customer Review: pre revolutionary france best sellers
The entire study is interesting but is almost entirely based upon a single set of documents making the credibility questionable. It was easy to read, but dry at times. I needed this book for a class...
Customer Review: What the hoi polloi were really reading
This was one of the many great books I read in the History of the Enlightenment class I took my senior year of college. My professor told us that Robert Darnton is his main rival in that field, which...
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Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Forbidden Best-Sellers of Pre-Revolutionary France
