LibGuides: Neoclassical &amp; Enlightenment World Literature: Read the Lit

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The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope First published in 1971. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister by Aphra Behn The first prominent female writer working in English, author Aphra Behn lived a fascinating life, spending time as a spy for the U.K. before turning her attention to literary pursuits. This novel tells the tale of a young woman who is seduced by her loutish brother-in-law and then goes to extreme lengths to secure their unholy union.
Oroonoko : Or, The Royal Slave by Aphra Behn Aphra Behn was one of the first professional English female writers and Oroonoko was one of her earliest works. It is the love story between Oroonoko, the grandson of an African king, and the daughter of that king's general. The king takes the girl into his harem, and when she plans to escape with his grandson, sells her as a slave. When Oroonoko tries to follow her he is caught by an English slave trader and taken to the same West Indian island as his love.
The Rover by Aphra Behn Increasingly Aphra Behn--the first woman professional writer--is also regarded as one of the most important writers of the 17th century. The Rover, her most famous and most accomplished play, is in many ways firmly in the tradition of Restoration drama; Willmore, the title character, is a rake and a libertine, and the comedy feeds on sexual innuendo, intrigue and wit. But the laughter that the play insights has a biting edge to it and the sexual intrigue an unsettling depth. As Anne Russell points out in her introduction to this edition, there are three options for women in the society represented in The Rover: marriage, the convent, or prostitution. In this marriage economy the witty and pragmatic virgin Hellena learns how to survive, while the prostitute Angellica Bianca can retain her autonomy only so long as she remains free from romantic love. It seems that in this world women can only be free by the anonymity of disguise--yet the mask is also the mark of the prostitute. And, paradoxically, disguise is the device that in many ways drives the plot towards marriage. Enormously popular through the eighteenth century, The Rover is now once again widely performed. Filled with the play of ideas, it is one of the most amusing, entertaining--and unsettling--of comedies.
Dream of the Red Chamber Hung Lou Meng, Books I and II by Cao Xueqin Dream of the Red Chamber is one of the four Chinese classics. The novel is semi-autobiographical and it gives an incredibly detailed insight into 18th-century life in China, particularly that of the aristocracy. The plot is grand in scale, peopled with a complex array of characters.
Masterpieces of Chikamatsu : The Japanese Shakespeare by Chikamatsu This is a selection of the best plays of Chikamatsu, one of the greatest Japanese dramatists. Master of the marionette and popular dramas, he had, until the publication of this book, remained unknown to western readers owing to the difficulty of translating the work into English. The introduction provides a comprehensive survey of the history of Japanese drama which will assist the reader in better understanding the plays.  
Denis Diderot's 'Rameau's Nephew' by Denis Diderot
Selected Fiction and Drama of Eliza Haywood by Eliza Haywood This exciting edition gathers together for the first time a sampling of Haywood's writings generous enough to represent the full range of her fiction and drama and includes material from each decade of her long writing life. All texts come back into print here and here alone. The collectionfeatures six fictions, including both racy early work and later experimental prose fiction, two plays, and some powerful political writing.
Shorter Leibniz Texts by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz This volume contains more than 60 original translations of papers written by the German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716). As well as contributing to Leibniz scholarship, it is intended to function as an introductory text for students
The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant The Critique of Pure Reason is one of the seminal texts of Western philosophy, and the first of Kant's three Critiques. In it he takes up Hume's argument that cause and effect cannot be experienced by the senses. Hume argued that we experience events one after the other, but not that one event is caused by the preceding event. Kant argues that synthetic, rather than analytic thinking is needed, and addresses the problem of thinking synthetically without relying on the empirical method.
Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals is one of the most important texts in the history of ethics. In it Kant searches for the supreme principle of morality and argues for a conception of the moral life that has made this work a continuing source of controversy and an object of reinterpretation for over two centuries.
Discourse on Inequality by Jean-Jacques Rousseau The searing indictment of man-made inequality in all its many forms that Rousseau offers in Discourse on Inequality is a must-read for philosophy buffs and supporters of social justice. This artfully composed argument sets forth the core elements of Rousseau's philosophical views, including his unique take on Hobbes' concept of nature and natural law.
The Social Contract and the First and Second Discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau's ideas about society, culture and government are pivotal in the history of political thought. His works are as controversial as they are relevant today. This volume brings together three of Rousseau's most important political writings - The Social Contract and The First Discourse (Discourse on the Sciences and Arts) and The Second Discourse (Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality) - and presents essays by major scholars that shed light on the dimensions and implications of these texts.
The Battle of the Books and Other Works, Including A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift This discourse, as it is unquestionably of the same author, so it seems to have been written about the same time, with 'The Tale of a Tub;' I mean the year 1697, when the famous dispute was on foot about ancient and modern learning. The controversy took its rise from an essay of Sir William Temple's upon that subject. At length, there appearing no end of the quarrel, our author tells us that the books in St. James's Library, looking upon themselves as parties principally concerned... This discourse, as it is unquestionably of the same author, so it seems to have been written about the same time, with 'The Tale of a Tub;' I mean the year 1697, when the famous dispute was on foot about ancient and modern learning. The controversy took its rise from an essay of Sir William Temple's upon that subject. At length, there appearing no end of the quarrel, our author tells us that the books in St. James's Library, looking upon themselves as parties principally concerned, took up the controversy, and came to a decisive battle.". So begins Jonathan Swift's satire, The Battle of the Books , which tells of a great battle between the books in the King's Library. The name of his satire came be used in reference the the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns.
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift is a witty and insightful satirical novel recounts the history of Lemuel Gulliver, "First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of several Ships". In his travels Gulliver visits the Land of Lilliput, where he towers over the local inhabitants, the land of Brobdingnag where he is much smaller than the citizens, the floating island of Laputa, infested with fanatical scientists who in their obsession with reason behave with no sense at all and finally to the land of the brutish Yahoos who look to all intents and purposes like humans and are derided by the intelligent horse people. John Gay said in a 1726 letter to Swift that "it is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery"
Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft Mary Wollstonecraft wrote Vindication of the Rights of Woman in response to public debate and discussion about the education of women. She argues that women should be educated according to their station, and that they could be more than mere wives to their husbands and educators to their children. The text is one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy.
The Imaginary Invalid by Molière The Imaginary Invalid is a three-part comedy about a miser who imagines illnesses for himself, and whose doctor milks his hypochondria for everything he can get. Their mutual greed and dishonesty lead to their downfall. It was the last play Moliere ever wrote, and he collapsed whilst playing the hypochondriac, shortly before he died. The play originally included dance sequences and musical interludes.
The Misanthrope by Molière One of the best of Molière's plays -- and one of the greatest of all comedies -- spotlighting the absurdities of social and literary pretension, focusing on a man who is quick to criticize the faults of others, yet remains blind to his own. Publisher's Note.
The School for Husbands by Molière The School for Husbands (L'#65533;cole des maris) is a work by Moli#65533;re (the stage name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin), a French playwright who is often considered to be one of Western literature's great masters of comedy. In a theatre in the Louvre and in the Palais-Royal, Moli#65533;re found success among the Parisians with The School for Husbands. First performed in 1661, it forms part of Moli#65533;re's "Jealousy series", which includes ou Le Cocu imaginaire (The Imaginary Cuckold), Dom Garcie de Navarre ou Le Prince jaloux (The Jealous Prince), and L'#65533;cole des femmes (The School for Wives).
School for Wives by Molière Molière, undoubtedly one of the greatest writers of comedy in the history of theatre, won enormous success for The School for Wives (L'Ecole des Femmes) in Paris in 1662; yet this highly popular play, satirising ridiculous male attitudes to women, aroused as much hostility as critical acclaim. Arnolphe, a narrow-minded merchant hoping to marry his young ward, Agnès, is obsessed with the fear of being made a cuckold. But all his artful plans serve only to speed him towards the fate he is so desperate to avoid. Molière himself first played the hapless merchant, and this believable character in an all too believable predicament both startled and delighted his public. This highly successful translation of The School for Wives, directed by Sir Peter Hall, ran in the West End for six months.
Tartuffe by Molière This timeless comedy by one of France's greatest playwrights follows the outrageous activities of a penniless scoundrel and religious pretender. Invited to live in his benefactor's house, he wreaks havoc among family members by breaking off the daughter's engagement, attempting to seduce his hostess, and resorting to blackmail and extortion.
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, written in 1789, details its writer's life in slavery, his time spent serving on galleys, the eventual attainment of his own freedom and later success in business. Including a look at how slavery stood in West Africa, the book received favorable reviews and was one of the first slave narratives to be read widely.
Candide, Or, Optimism by Voltaire Every lover of classic literature should read Candide, the satirical masterpiece that shocked Paris upon its publication in 1759. The novel challenges many of the core assertions of Enlightenment philosophy and calls into question vast swaths of Christian dogma. Though widely banned after its publication, it propelled Voltaire to literary stardom and remains one of the most popular French novels ever written.

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Chikamatsu : 5 late plays by Chikamatsu Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1725), often referred to as "Japan's Shakespeare" and a "god of writers," was arguably the most famous playwright in Japanese history and wrote more than 100 plays for the kabuki and bunraku theaters. Today, the plays of this major literary figure are performed on kabuki and bunraku stages as well as in the modern theater, and forty-nine films of his plays have been made, thirty-one of them from the silent era. Translations of Chikamatsu's plays are available, but we have few examples of his late work, in which he increasingly incorporated stylistic elements of his shorter, contemporary dramas into his longer period pieces. Translator C. Andrew Gerstle argues that in these mature history plays, Chikamatsu depicted the tension between the private and public spheres of society by combining the rich character development of his contemporary pieces with the larger political themes of his period pieces. In this volume Gerstle translates five plays--four histories and one contemporary piece--never before available in English that complement other collections of Chikamatsu's work, revealing new dimensions to the work of this great Japanese playwright and artist.
Gulliver's Travels : complete, authoritative text with biographical and historical contexts, critical history, and essays from five contemporary critical perspectives by Jonathon Swift This work includes the complete authoritative text with biographical & historical contexts, critical history and essays from five contemporary critical perspectives.
The Misanthrope, Tartuffe, and Other Plays by Moliere 'Why does he write those ghastly plays that the whole of Paris flocks to see? And why does he paint such lifelike portraits that everyone recognizes themselves?' Moliere, The Impromptu at VersaillesThis volume brings together four of Moliere's greatest verse comedies covering the best years of his prolific writing career. Actor, director, and playwright, Moliere (1622-73) was one of the finest and most influential French dramatists, adept at portraying human foibles and puncturing pomposity.The School for Wives was his first great success; Tartuffe, condemned and banned for five years, his most controversial play. The Misanthrope is his acknowledged masterpiece, and The Clever Women his last, and perhaps best-constructed, verse piece. In addition this collection includes a spiritedattack on his enemies and a defence of his theatre, in the form of two sparkling short plays, The School for Wives Criticized and The Impromptu at Versailles.Moliere's prose plays are available in a complementary Oxford World's Classics edition, Don Juan and Other Plays.
Candide, or Optimism by Voltaire Candide, by Voltaire, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics: New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences--biographical, historical, and literary--to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works. One of the finest satires ever written, Voltaire’s Candide savagely skewers this very "optimistic” approach to life as a shamefully inadequate response to human suffering. The swift and lively tale follows the absurdly melodramatic adventures of the youthful Candide, who is forced into the army, flogged, shipwrecked, betrayed, robbed, separated from his beloved Cun#65533;gonde, and tortured by the Inquisition. As Candide experiences and witnesses calamity upon calamity, he begins to discover that--contrary to the teachings of his tutor, Dr. Pangloss--all is not always for the best. After many trials, travails, and incredible reversals of fortune, Candide and his friends finally retire together to a small farm, where they discover that the secret of happiness is simply "to cultivate one’s garden,” a philosophy that rejects excessive optimism and metaphysical speculation in favor of the most basic pragmatism. Filled with wit, intelligence, and an abundance of dark humor, Candide is relentless and unsparing in its attacks upon corruption and hypocrisy--in religion, government, philosophy, science, and even romance. Ultimately, this celebrated work teaches us that it is possible to challenge blind optimism without losing the will to live and pursue a happy life. Gita May is Professor of French at Columbia University. She has published extensively on the French Enlightenment, eighteenth-century aesthetics, the novel and autobiography, and women in literature, history, and the arts.