Persian letters

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Persian letters

Title:

Persian letters

Author:

Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat baron de, 1689-1755.

ISBN:

9780192806352

Personal Author:

Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat baron de, 1689-1755.

Uniform Title:

Lettres persanes. English

Publication Information:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2008.

Physical Description:

xlii, 270 p. ; 20 cm.

Series:

Oxford world's classics

Oxford world's classics (Oxford University Press)

Series Title:

Oxford world's classics

Contents:

Note on the Chronology of the Persian Letters -- A Chronology of Montesquieu -- Persian Letters -- Letters -- Supplementary Letters -- Some Reflections on the Persian Letters -- Appendix. Extracts from Montesquieu's Sources.

Abstract:

"Two Persian travellers, Usbek and Rica, arrive in Paris just before the death of Louis XIV and in time to witness the hedonism and financial crash of the Regency. In their letters home they report on visits to the theatre and scientific societies, and observe the manners and flirtations of polite society, the structures of power and the hypocrisy of religion. Irony and bitter satire mark their comparison of East and West and their quest for understanding. Unsettling news from Persia concerning the female world of the harem intrudes on their new identities and provides a suspenseful plot of erotic jealousy and passion." "This novel and work of travel-writing opened the world of the West to its oriental visitors and the Orient to its Western readers. This is the first English translation based on the original text, revealing this lively work as Montesquieu first intended."--BOOK JACKET.

Genre:

Epistolary fiction.

Added Author:

Mauldon, Margaret.

Kahn, Andrew.

Copies:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Copy	Status
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168025412129	843.5 M781P 2008	1	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Persian Letters is a classic of European literature by Baron de Montesquieu, the brilliant thinker who had a huge influence on the Enlightenment. Through the astute observations of his two fictional Persian travelers in Europe--Usbek and Rica--Montesquieu asks fundamental questions about human nature, the manners and flirtations of polite society, the structures of power, and the hypocrisy of religion-all in a witty, inventive satire that combines travel literature and the epistolary genre. Indeed, this pioneering epistolary novel appeared almost twenty years before Richardson's Pamela. This is the first English translation based on the new, definitive edition of the original French text, revealing this lively work as Montesquieu first intended. The book features an engaging and comprehensive introductory essay, covering a wide range of topics, including the novel's fictional techniques and innovations; travel literature as a genre; historical context and Enlightenment ideas; Orientalism; and other issues. The editor has included full explanatory notes, a useful list of characters, and an invaluable appendix featuring excerpts from Montesquieu's most important sources.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.