Life and Letters in France: The Nineteenth Century

(Contains passages in French with commentary in English) The commentary presented is to be used as a complement to l'esplication de textes, fulfilling a need which teachers of French literature in this country are acutely aware of, and which la lecture expliquee on the normal lines cannot conveniently satisfy. Our pupils are not equipped, like those brought up in French schools, with the knowledge of French history, political, social, economic and cultural, which should be brought to the understanding and appreciation of French authors. The extent to which our understanding of literature is thus sharpened and deepened by systematic attention to what is conveniently called historical background depends a good deal on the nature of the works studied, and the choice of passages for commentary naturally reflects that fact. The passages included are varied enough to show that the method is appropriate to many different kinds of work, but it is not claimed that they represent adequately the variety of French literature at any period in its history. The aim of this book is to view the practical aim of reading French literature with profit and enjoyment.