Reminiscences in the Tomb

Author: Chateaubriand
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-05-01
Features: The author is a significant figure in French history. This book is a selection from his memoirs, including his childhood memories, reflections on the 1848 Revolution, the story of his acquaintance and eventual disagreement with Napoleon, and the portrayal of his relationship with the abdicated King after he withdrew from politics. Through his own life, the author also touches upon the political, cultural, and social scenes of the Restoration period, painting a complete picture of French society from the French Revolution to the mid-19th century. A famous critic once said that the author combined "the skepticism of the 18th-century aristocracy and the sentimentality of the 19th-century aristocracy in an unconventional way." This "unconventionality" lies in his treating the transition between old and new systems as historical inevitability, with what is lost inevitably being something worth cherishing.