The libertine novel was an
18th-century literary genre of which the roots lay in the European but mainly French
libertine tradition. The genre effectively ended with the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
. Themes of libertine novels were
anti-clericalism,
anti-establishment
An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958, by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...
and
eroticism
Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sc ...
.
Authors include
Cyrano de Bergerac
Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist.
A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...
(''
L’Autre monde ou les états et empires de la Lune'', 1657),
[
]
Claude Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon
Claude Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon (13 February 1707 – 12 April 1777), called "Crébillon fils" (to distinguish him from his father), was a French novelist.
Born in Paris, he was the son of a famous tragedian, Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon. H ...
(''
Les Égarements du cœur et de l'esprit
''Les Égarements du cœur et de l'esprit ou Mémoires de M. de Meilcour'' (French: ''Strayings of the Heart and Mind, or Memoirs of M. de Meilcour'') is a novel by Crébillon fils, which appeared in three parts from 1736 to 1738. It is apparentl ...
'', 1736; ''
Le Sopha, conte moral'', 1742),
Denis Diderot
Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the '' Encyclopédie'' along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a promi ...
(''
Les bijoux indiscrets'', 1748),
Marquis de Sade (''
L'Histoire de Juliette'', 1797–1801),
Choderlos de Laclos (''
Les Liaisons dangereuses
''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (; English: ''Dangerous Liaisons'') is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu from March 23, 1782.
It is the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and ...
'', 1782).
Other famous titles are ''
Histoire de Dom Bougre, Portier des Chartreux
''Histoire de Dom Bougre, Portier des Chartreux'' is a French novel from 1741. Allegedly the anonymous author was Jean-Charles Gervaise de Latouche. ''Histoire de Dom Bougre'' is one of the most celebrated French erotic novels of the 18th centur ...
'' (1741) and ''
Thérèse Philosophe'' (1748).
Precursors to the libertine writers were
Théophile de Viau (1590-1626) and
Charles de Saint-Evremond (1610-1703), who were inspired by
Epicurus and the publication of
Petronius, and
John Wilmot
John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (1 April 1647 – 26 July 1680) was an English poet and courtier of King Charles II's Restoration court. The Restoration reacted against the "spiritual authoritarianism" of the Puritan era. Rochester embodi ...
(''
Sodom, or the Quintessence of Debauchery
''Sodom'' is an obscene Restoration closet drama, published in 1684. The work has been attributed to John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, though its authorship is disputed. Determining the date of composition and attribution are complicated owing ...
'', 1684).
.
Robert Darnton
Robert Choate Darnton (born May 10, 1939) is an American cultural historian and academic librarian who specializes in 18th-century France.
He was director of the Harvard University Library from 2007 to 2016.
Life
Darnton was born in New York ...
is a cultural historian who has covered this genre extensively.
English translations
In alphabetical order by author's last name:
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Further reading
In alphabetical order by last name:
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Libertine Novel
Literary genres
French literature