Les femmes et les livres

This work opens by confronting the long‑standing stereotype that women are natural enemies of the written word. Drawing on early critics from the medieval bibliophile Richard de Bury to 19th‑century scholars, the author shows how such prejudice was voiced with surprising vigor, treating the “fair sex” as a threat to the very sanctity of books.

From that critical start, the narrative shifts to a rich, chronological parade of women who embraced reading and collecting. It profiles celebrated collectors, modest salon hosts, and everyday readers, each illustrated with vivid anecdotes and precise references. The author’s meticulous notes reveal the sources behind every claim, offering a scholarly trail that invites further exploration.

Thoughtful and measured, the study balances humor with rigor, inviting listeners to reconsider how gendered assumptions have shaped literary culture. It is both a corrective catalogue of forgotten female bibliophiles and a celebration of their enduring love for the page.