
audiobook
by J.-B. (Jean-Baptiste) Pérès
Note sur la transcription: Les erreurs clairement introduites par le typographe ont été corrigées. L'orthographe d'origine a été conservée et n'a pas été harmonisée. Les numéros des pages blanches n'ont pas été repris.
In this provocative essay, the author treats the legend of Napoleon Bonaparte as nothing more than a grand allegory, equating the emperor with the sun itself. By dissecting the familiar biographical details—birth on a Mediterranean island, family ties, campaigns, and marital life—the writer shows how each element mirrors celestial imagery and ancient myth. The piece blends witty linguistic sleuthing with classical references, especially to Apollo, to suggest that the historic figure is a literary construct rather than a person.
The text unfolds as a playful yet erudite investigation, inviting listeners to follow a trail of etymology, inscriptions, and poetic associations that turn Napoleon’s name into a disguised tribute to daylight. Throughout, the author balances scholarly footnotes with a tongue‑in‑cheek narrative voice, making the argument feel like a delightful puzzle. Readers are left with a fresh perspective on how history can be reshaped through symbolism and how even the most entrenched myths may be born of imagination.
Full title
Comme quoi Napoléon n'a jamais existé ou, Grand erratum source d'un nombre infini d'errata à noter dans l'histoire du XIXe siècle ou, Grand erratum source d'un nombre infini d'errata à noter dans l'histoire du XIXe siècle
Language
fr
Duration
~30 minutes (29K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Clarity, Hélène de Mink, 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
2017-12-20
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
d. 1840
Best remembered for a clever satirical pamphlet that argued Napoleon never existed, this French writer turned a joke into a lasting literary curiosity. His life moved through science, politics, law, and librarianship before that small work made him unexpectedly famous.
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