Letters on the English
by Voltaire · Lettres philosophiques
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1733
- Form
- Essay
- Language
- French
- Length
- Short · 160 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendLetters on England, translated by Leonard TancockPenguin Classics, 1980A clear translation of all twenty-five letters with brief notes.
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Twenty-five short letters written after Voltaire's exile in England from 1726 to 1729, describing a country he holds up as a mirror to France. He reports on the Quakers, the Church of England, Parliament, trade and the Royal Exchange, inoculation against smallpox, Bacon, Locke and Newton, and English tragedy and comedy. The praise of English religious toleration, constitutional government and experimental science was understood as an attack on France; the book was condemned and burned in Paris in 1734.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Letters on the English are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
