author
G.-H. (Guillaume-Hyacinthe) Bougeant
1690–1743
An 18th-century French Jesuit writer with a taste for lively argument and satire, he is best remembered for works that mix wit, philosophy, and history. His writing could be playful and controversial, which helped keep his name alive long after his lifetime.
1 Audiobook
Voyage du Prince Fan-Federin dans la romancie
by G.-H. (Guillaume-Hyacinthe) Bougeant
About the author
Born in Quimper, Brittany, on November 4, 1690, Guillaume-Hyacinthe Bougeant was a French Jesuit, historian, and man of letters. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1706 and later taught classics at Jesuit colleges in Caen and Nevers before spending much of his later life in Paris.
Bougeant wrote across several genres, including history, religious works, satire, and philosophical fiction. He is especially associated with Amusement philosophique sur le langage des bêtes, a witty and provocative work published in 1737 that caused trouble for him and reportedly led to a brief exile from Paris.
He died in Paris on January 17, 1743. Today he is remembered as a learned but entertaining writer whose books show how seriously eighteenth-century authors could think while still leaving room for humor.