Subject
French fiction -- 17th century Books
Best books
Cyrano de Bergerac
Voyages to the Moon and the Sun
"Voyages to the Moon and the Sun" by Cyrano de Bergerac is a satirical novel published posthumously in 1657. The narrator, also named Cyrano, attempts multiple flights to reach the Moon and discover its civilization. After crashing in New France and surviving a rocket-powered launch, he encounters four-legged inhabitants who communicate in musical notes, value large noses, and include the ghost of Socrates. Through philosophical dialogues, the travelers challenge fundamental beliefs about God, immortality, and the human soul. Considered one of the earliest science fiction stories, it features the first description of rocket-powered spaceflight.
Paul Scarron
Le Roman Comique
"Le Roman Comique" by Paul Scarron is a novel published in two parts in 1651 and 1657. A traveling theater troupe arrives in Le Mans, launching a series of comic and adventurous escapades. The narrative weaves between present-day theatrical mishaps and embedded tales of love and intrigue, including the romantic flight of Garrigues and Mlle de La Boissière. At its center is Ragotin, a vain and ridiculous dwarf whose farcical misadventures provide comic relief. Scarron died while working on the third part, leaving this vibrant portrait of seventeenth-century theatrical life unfinished.
Béroalde de Verville
Le moyen de parvenir, tome 2/3
"Le moyen de parvenir, tome 2/3" by Béroalde de Verville is a banquet narrative published in 1616. This eccentric work assembles guests from different eras and social ranks at an imaginary feast where they speak freely, moving from topic to topic through imperceptible connections. The text reflects late Renaissance anxieties following religious wars and social upheaval, channeling this turmoil into carnivalesque satire. With its transgressive content and chaotic structure, the work stands at the crossroads between Renaissance exuberance and emerging concepts of literary obscenity.
Béroalde de Verville
Le moyen de parvenir, tome 3/3
"Le moyen de parvenir, tome 3/3" by Béroalde de Verville is a banquet narrative published in 1616. The work presents an imaginary feast where figures from all conditions, ranks, and centuries gather to converse freely, moving from topic to topic through imperceptible connections. This eccentric and transgressive text reflects the disillusionment of the late sixteenth century through universal satire. With its mixture of bawdy humor and chaotic form, it embodies the extraordinary literary vitality of a twilight Renaissance, standing at the crossroads between carnivalesque license and emerging modern obscenity.
Béroalde de Verville
Le moyen de parvenir, tome 1/3
"Le moyen de parvenir, tome 1/3" by Béroalde de Verville is a banquet narrative published in 1616. The work presents an imaginary feast where people from all eras and social ranks gather to tell stories and discuss freely. Through its chaotic structure and bawdy content, this eccentric text embodies the turbulent spirit of the late Renaissance, reflecting anxieties about religious wars and social disorder while pushing the boundaries of obscenity in early modern literature.
Recently surfaced classics