France et Culture Séries

“A coisa mais engraçada que aconteceu na gráfica de Jacques Vincent, segundo um operário que testemunhou o fato, foi um sedicioso massacre de gatos.” Assim começa o estudo de Robert Darnton sobre os rituais violentos praticados por artesãos franceses no século XVIII. Em uma série de ensaios, Darnton revela as visões de mundo das pessoas que habitavam a França durante o Iluminismo. Ele aborda temas que vão do folclore sombrio do campesinato às sensibilidades românticas que conectavam Rousseau a seus leitores burgueses. O autor explora os motivos que levaram artesãos parisienses a achar engraçado um massacre de gatos, refletindo sobre o humor na classe operária do Antigo Regime. Em “Um inspetor de polícia organiza seus arquivos”, observamos como o Antigo Regime tentava entender a nova figura do intelectual freelancer. Outros ensaios oferecem uma visão da França urbana em transformação pelos olhos de um burguês de Montpellier e mostram Diderot e D'Alembert planejando a famosa Enciclopédia. O massacre de gatos é uma janela para uma cultura familiar e estranha, desafiando a suposição de que podemos entender plenamente os sentimentos europeus de dois séculos atrás. Darnton proporciona uma necessária e inesquecível dose de choque cultural.

The exploration of scandalous literature in eighteenth-century France reveals how libelers challenged the authority of the Old Regime. Robert Darnton delves into the vibrant lives of these figures, illustrating their impact on the ideological shifts that paved the way for a more radical political culture during Robespierre's era. This examination highlights the interplay between literature and politics, showcasing how dissenting voices contributed to the transformation of French society.

Robert Darnton's work is one of the main reasons that cultural history has become an exciting study central to our understanding of the past.

À la veille de la Révolution, 25 000 collections des 17 volumes de l’Encyclopédie étaient déjà vendues à travers l’Europe. Robert Darnton, dans ce « grand livre sur l’Encyclopédie » (Roger Chartier) raconte l’histoire de ce succès. Il y révèle un aspect peu connu de l’histoire de la France au siècle des Lumières. « La plus grande entreprise de tous les temps » n’y est pas considérée sous l’angle des idées philosophiques qu’elle contient, mais comme la plus grande affaire commerciale du XVIIIe siècle. L’histoire de la fabrication, du mode de vente et de distribution de ce best-seller amène de la sorte à une connaissance réelle des la vie des Français au travail.

Robert Darnton führt den Leser in die dunkle, auch von der Wissenschaft bislang nicht ausgeleuchtete Welt der Raubdrucker, Hinterstubenverleger, Schmuggler und Polizeispitzel, die sich als literarischer Untergrund hinter der Fassade der Aufklärung gebildet hatte: Nicht die Enzyklopädie und die heute bekannten philosophischen Werke - das ist die sensationelle Entdeckung Darntons - waren die verbreiteten und wirksamen Bücher, sondern eine ganz andere Literatur. Während auf der offiziellen Seite die Zensur, eine monopolistische Zunft und die Polizei die Buchindustrie beschützten, begann eine weit verzweigte literarische Unterwelt eine illegale Literatur zu verbreiten, die Leser überall in Frankreich mit aufrührerischen Ideen und Ideologien versorgte. Aus naheliegenden Gründen verwischten die Hauptfiguren dieser Subkultur ihre Spuren, so daß Robert Darntons Arbeit sich wie eine detektivische Spurensicherung liest.

Exploring the interplay between history and culture, this collection of essays spans topics from the 18th to the 20th centuries. It includes captivating anecdotes, such as a 1792 incident in the French Legislative Assembly, and offers insights into media, the publishing world, and the history of books. Darnton also delves into intellectual history and examines the connections between history, literature, anthropology, and sociology. His engaging writing style makes complex themes accessible and thought-provoking.

In 1749, Francois Bonis, a medical student in Paris, found himself hauled off to the Bastille for distributing an abominable poem about the king. So began the Affair of the Fourteen, a police crackdown on ordinary citizens for unauthorized poetry recitals. Why was the official response to these poems so intense? This book deals with this topic.