Author
Evelyn Beatrice Hall
1868-1956
Evelyn Beatrice Hall (1868-1956) is a public-domain author available on Rivro. Read free books, explore subjects, and discover related classics.
WikipediaSubjects
Books by Evelyn Beatrice Hall
The life of Voltaire
"The Life of Voltaire" by Evelyn Beatrice Hall is a historical account written in the early 20th century. This biography explores the life and times of one of history's most influential philosophers and writers, François-Marie Arouet, who is better known as Voltaire. It covers his early years, his rise in literary and intellectual circles, and examines the pivotal moments and relationships that shaped his thoughts and writings. The opening of the book establishes Voltaire's frail beginnings, detailing his birth into a comfortable bourgeois family in Paris in 1694. It introduces significant figures in his early life, including his father, a notary, and his godfather, the abbé Châteauneuf, who provided him with early education and exposure to free thought. The narrative highlights Voltaire's precocious intellect and his formative experiences, including the influence of the salon culture and the relationships with notable figures such as Ninon de l'Enclos and J. B. Rousseau. These elements set the stage for his future as a writer and philosopher who would challenge the societal norms of his time through his wit, satire, and commitment to reason.
The Friends of Voltaire
"The Friends of Voltaire" by Evelyn Beatrice Hall is an anecdotal biography published in 1906. The book explores the lives of ten prominent 18th-century French Enlightenment figures through their connections to Voltaire. Each man receives a distinctive label—from d'Alembert the Thinker to Condorcet the Aristocrat—as Hall weaves together their intertwined stories. The work notably contains a phrase summarizing Voltaire's views on free speech that would later be widely misattributed as his own words, becoming one of history's most famous quotations.