Description

This volume gathers a lively selection of the author's essays and observations, presenting his sharp wit and keen eye for the social currents of the late 18th century. The pages blend literary criticism, historical commentary, and moral reflection, inviting listeners to hear the same debates that animated Parisian salons of the era. With meticulous notes that preserve the original spelling while correcting typographical errors, the text feels both authentic and accessible.

Among the pieces, the writer turns his attention to the ‘Considérations sur l’Esprit et les Mœurs,’ a work that surveys the spirit and manners of his contemporaries through the lens of earlier moralists such as Montaigne, La Rochefoucauld, and La Bruyère. He contrasts their approaches with the theatrical genius of Molière, arguing that true insight lies in creating characters that expose societal flaws as much as in abstract maxims. Listeners will appreciate the lively digressions on topics ranging from courtly politeness to the virtues of modesty, all rendered in the author's characteristic blend of irony and elegance.

Details

Full title

Œuvres Complètes de Chamfort (Tome 3) Recueillies et publiées, avec une notice historique sur la vie et les écrits de l'auteur.

Language

Duration

~11 hours (635K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by Mireille Harmelin, Hélène de Mink, Keith J Adams and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica) at http://gallica.bnf.fr)

Release date

2013-08-18

Rights

Public domain in the USA.