Paul and Virginia

(Paperback, New edition)

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Description

Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's only novel is a classic of naive love. First published in 1788 to wide acclaim, it subsequently appeared in hundreds of editions throughout the world and influenced a generation of French writers, from George Sand and Lamartine to Balzac and Flaubert. In modern times it has inspired movies such as The Blue Lagoon, major musicals, artworks, a hit song by Celine Dion and even a chain of luxury hotels on Mauritius! Bernardin was inspired by his friend Rousseau to tell the story of two children who grow up entirely according to nature's laws, on a paradise island, free from the corrupting influence of the world. They reach adolescence and fall in love, but tragedy strikes and both die untimely deaths. A key text in the development of the novel, Paul and Virginia is a must for anyone interested in the history of European literature.

Author Bio

Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre was born in Le Havre in 1737. In 1792 he was made superintendent of the Royal Botanical Gardens and later became professor of moral science at the Ecole Normale Superieure. By the time of his death in 1815, he was president of the French Academy."