Eloisa: or, A series of original letters: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Eloisa: or, A series of original letters: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Eloisa: or, A series of original letters is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Rousseau, Jean-Jacques (1712–1778). The listed translation credits are Kenrick, W. (William) (?–1779).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
Eloisa: or, A series of original letters is the first English translation of Julie, ou La Nouvelle Heloise by the Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Written in letters, Eloisa concerns the forbidden love between a middle-rank tutor named St. Preux and his aristocratic student, the titular Eloisa. As different characters comment on the interclass romance, the novel examines prescient topics such as social rank, premarital sex, women's autonomy, and the definition of virtue. Prefatory materials include a meta-fictional dialogue wherein Rousseau debates the moral merit of his novel as well as a translator's note and a contemporary review by a Parisian journal. The novel is then structured as four volumes. The first and second volumes valorize the passionate young lovers, who are ultimately compelled to part. The third and fourth volumes revisit the characters years later. Eloisa has become a devoted wife and mother, while St. Preux has taken to the sea. They reunite at Eloisa's country manor and, through the case study of Eloisa's household, propose a unique vision of domestic bliss. The novel's surprising and controversial ending prompts readers to grapple with its central themes and questions.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Eloisa: or, A series of original letters
- Author credits: Rousseau, Jean-Jacques (1712–1778)
- Catalogue language: English
- Translator credits: Kenrick, W. (William) (?–1779)
Catalogue subjects
- Alps Region -- History -- 18th century -- Fiction
- Epistolary fiction
- French fiction -- Translations into English
- Man-woman relationships -- Fiction
- Psychological fiction
- Women -- Fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: Classics of Literature
- Category: French Literature
- Category: Novels
- Category: Romance
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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