
In 1792 the author fled the turmoil of Paris with his wife, three children and a small household, seeking refuge in the quiet hamlet of Abloville in the Eure region. There, amid fields and a modest farmhouse, he began to record his recollections, hoping they might guide his children. The memoirs blend personal anecdotes with the calm of rural life, revealing a man grappling with loss, aging, and the desire to leave a moral legacy.
Even in exile he remained entangled with the revolutionary world, receiving a modest grant from the Convention and being named a non‑resident associate of the newly formed Institute for grammar. His writings extend beyond family tales to essays on education, religious freedom, and the chaotic reorganization of France’s libraries after the Revolution. Through these reflections he offers a window into the cultural and political debates of the era, all filtered through the eyes of a seasoned literary figure.
Full title
Mémoires de Marmontel (Volume 1 of 3) Mémoires d'un Père pour servir à l'Instruction de ses enfans
Language
fr
Duration
~7 hours (433K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2008-09-04
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1723–1799
A lively voice of the French Enlightenment, this writer moved easily between theater, criticism, history, and fiction. He was closely connected with the world of Voltaire and the Encyclopédie, and his memoirs still offer a vivid window into 18th-century literary life.
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