La Nouvelle Héloïse: Julie, or the New Eloise : Letters of Two Lovers, Inhabitants of a Small Town at the Foot of the Alps [Paperback]

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Author), Judith H. McDowell (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1986

This landmark of the romantic movement not only greatly influenced the taste and morality of the eighteenth-century reading public but was also one of the most seminal and widely read literary works of its day. Seventy-two editions of the novel in French appeared between 1761 and 1800, and though Voltaire called its success one of the infamies of the century. It won for Rousseau a place beside the author of Candide as a director of European thought. The plot of the novel is one familiar to all literature; that of a fallen and regenerated woman. The first three parts are devoted to the celebration of the passionate, mutual love of Saint-Preux and Julie; the last three praise Julie's return to virtue as a faithful wife and dedicated mother. Professor McDowell's translation is precise but natural and conveys to the reader the distinctive flavor of Rousseau's style.

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About the Author

Judith McDowell is Professor of English at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: The Pennsylvania State University Press; abridged edition (January 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271006021
• ISBN-13: 978-0271006024
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,200,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Missing 33 pages, May 11, 2010

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TR (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: La Nouvelle Héloïse: Julie, or the New Eloise : Letters of Two Lovers, Inhabitants of a Small Town at the Foot of the Alps (Paperback)

While the translation is very good, my copy is missing thirty-three pages right in the middle of the III section and on into the beginning of the IV. The book does not seem to have been tampered with, so I assume this is the case with all copies of this translation, and therefore would advise people not to buy it.