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French Authors & Texts

General
Literary Movements
20th Century
19th Century
18th Century
17th Century
16th Century
Medieval

GENERAL: ELECTRONIC LIBRARIES
HARVARD-ONLY ACCESS
ARTFL--University of Chicago (pdf)
The Project for American and French Research on the Treasury of the French Language offers electronic texts, bibliographies, special collaborations, Encyclopedias and an especially useful collection of reference works (dating back to the Thresor de la langue Francoyse, 1606). (French)
UNIVERSAL ACCESS
ATHENA--La Bibliothèque Française (pdf and rtf)
Extensive library of French and foreign authors. Texts divided into three principle categories: French authors in French, Foreign authors in French, and Foreign translations of French authors. (French)
Bibliographie Universelle
Search authors by name to get a list of their works and those elusive publication dates.
BIBLIONET
A searchable database of classic texts from French literature covering the Renaissance to the present. Users can search by author, work, citation, keyword or character. Most works are also available from their online bookstore, which offers books on CD-ROM as well.
CESAR--UK site for French Theater
An extensive database of the plays, people, performances and performance spaces of 17th and 18th century French theater. Scope includes plays, operas, ballets and other more obscure writings whether performative, academic, or contemporary criticism. Users can register to acquire more extensive access. (English or French)|
Florilège de la littérature Française (rtf or pdf)
Collection of downloadable French literary texts. (French)
GALLICA (pdf)
The electronic text section of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France offers an extensive list of authors with accompanying texts. Also includes a chronology for each period. (French)
L'Association des Bibliophiles Universels (ABU) (htm)
Catalog of French texts/authors associated with the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM) de Paris. (French)
La Bibliothèque Electronique de Lisieux (htm)
A site originally dedicated to French authors of the 19th century, it now lists French authors and works across several centuries, including many obscure works and authors. (French)
Philosophie, Education, Culture--Pierre Cohen-Bacrie
Virtual library of various literary and philosophical texts. (French)

LITERARY MOVEMENTS
Chronologie du XIX Gallica
Chronologie historique et littéraire du XIXe - U of York
Chronologie littéraire française (1848-1914)
Une petite chronologie utile
Etudes-littéraires
http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/c19th/realism.htm
In art history - The Met http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/10/euwf/ht10euwf.htm

19th CENTURY
Charles Baudelaire
Baudelaire at his best - poems, criticism, correspondence, biography, essays, etc.
Clicnet: érature francophone virtuelle du 19e siècle
Author list with links to sites offering their texts.
La France et les Français au 19e siècle
French culture, literature, and history from 19th century.
La langue du 19e siècle
Comprehensive site of resources for 19th century French studies.
Le site Flaubert
Website hosted by the Flaubert Center at the Université de Rouen.
Les poètes du 19e siècle
Proposé par Poètes.com: Poètes du 19e siècle Baudelaire, Verlaine, Rimbaud, les romantiques (Hugo, Lamartine, Musset, Nerval, Vigny, Gautier, ...
Ressources sur le 19e siècle
University of Bristol - annonces, publications, colloques, littérature, auteurs.

NATURALISM
American naturalism
Chronologie et doctrine (surtout Zola)
Definition - Bartleby
Notes en Thérèse Raquin
Philippe Hamon sur le réalisme et le naturalisme
Short definition - U of Toronto

REALISM
An overview
Definition
Histoire du roman au XIXe
In art

ROMANTICISM
Chronologie de la poèsie romantique
Chronologie du drame romantique
Chronologie et doctrine
Definition
In art
Le roman romantique
The Rise of Romantism in France - theatre and plays
Vigny et d'autres écrivains

SYMBOLISM
Brève presentation
Chronologie et doctrine
Définition
Généralités et écrivains symbolistes
Le manifeste de Jean Moréas publié dans Le Figaro, 1886

THE PARNASSIANS
Chronologie et doctrine

18th CENTURY
Clandestine
A "limited but representational selection of texts," including works by César Chesneau Du Marsais, Nicolas Fréret, Voltaire, Fontenelle and others, with links to other servers.
Eighteenth Century Studies
A site that archives novels, plays, memoirs, treatises and poems along with modern criticism, largely from the 18th century, with some "influential texts from before 1700 or after 1800."
Super-Enlightenment
This collection assembles about three dozen rare works in French written between 1716 and 1835, covering mythology, alchemy, religion, free-masonry, science, and other topics.

AUTEURS
Beaumarchais
Life & works - Encyclopedia Britannica article
Life & works - Books & Writers
Chocerlos de Laclos
Bio - lit encyclopedia
Bio, summary of works, links
Les liaisons dangereuses - étude du roman
Diderot
Bio - Encyclopedia of philosophy
Bio sketch - Books & Writers
Encyclopedia of Diderot et d'Alembert - ARTFL project.
Hypertext search in volume 1.
The Encyclopedia of Diderot and d'Alembert - U Mich.
Translation of several encyclopedia articles.
Montesquieu
On the author and his works - Stanford University
Revue Montesquieu - Société Montesquieu, Université Stendhal-Grenoble 3.
Philosophical and literary treatment of his works.
Selections from the Spirit of Laws - Fordham University
The Spirit of Laws - Thomas Nugent
Translation of L'esprit des lois in html
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Illustrated biography of Rousseau's life and works - Jean-Jacques Monney
Life, works, philosophy
Works available online
Voltaire
Fondation Voltaire
A department of the University of Oxford, the Foundation is undertaking the publication of the complete critical edition of Voltaire's works. Electronic publications and research are located on the site.
Life and links
Life, works, philosophy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Works available online - UPenn

17th CENTURY
Web17
Roger Duchêne's extensive site dealing with all things literary from the 17th century.

AUTEURS
Bayle, Pierre
Pierre Bayle
Bio, biblio, e-texts, links and various articles on the oeuvre and life of this 17th-century philosopher.
Boileau
Anthologie Francophone - author's bio
Notable quotes
Poésie Française - poems by the author
Short bio with excerpt from Art Poétique
Corneille, Pierre
Bio in English
Bio in table form
Bio in table form with works and other links.
Le Roi Danse
The debate over Corneille's authorship of Molière's plays.
Pierre Corneille
Searchable text for Cinna, l'Illusion Comique, le Cid.
Cyrano de Bergerac
Author's bio
Synopsis of the play by Rostand
d'Aubignac
B iography
Excerpt from La Pratique du theater
de Sales
d'Urfe
Him
Descartes
Commentary on the author's life and work
Desjardins
Fontanelle
Furetière
La Bruyère
Académie Française site
Analysis of thought
Bio - Catholic Encyclopedia.
Bio - Classic Encyclopedia.
Lafayette, Madame de
e-text of Princesse de Clèves and short bio
Web17's site dedicated to the author
Includes bio, texts, links, and critical commentary.
La Fontaine
Biography
Fables
La Fontaine site
Extensive site dedicated to the author, his work (including Fables & Contes), his era and his influence.
Selection of Fables
Selection of Fables in English
Site of the Musée Jean de la Fontaine
La Rochefoucauld
Bio
Quotes
Short bio
Méré
Quotes
Molière
Playright's &biblio
With links of his works and their subsequent performances, with iconography & Filmography.
The debate over Corneille's authorship of Molière's plays
Pascal
Bio, oeuvre, links
Life account (heavy on math)
Pascal's (Stanford)
Pensées (English)
Pensées (English)
Pensées (French)
Perrault
Bio
Fables in French
Fables in English
UPitt site dedicated to author
Racine
Bio in English
Searchable text for Andromaque, Athalie, Britannicus, Iphigénie en Aulide, Phèdre
Site in English with bio, links and some texts
Rotrou
Bio
La Véritable St Genest (1645)
Saint-Amant
E-texts
Scarron
Bio
Catholic bio
Scudéry
Biography, oeuvre, and many useful links
Correspondence
La Carte du Tendre (1654)
Le Grand Cyrus
Sorel
Biography
Excerpt from Histoire comique de Francion [1626]
Short biography

16th CENTURY
Madeleine éry : Artamène ou le Grand Cyrus
Lose yourself in the complete text for le Grand Cyrus by Mlle. de Scudéry, the longest single work in French literature. Readers can search by word or page number, download the text, view images, or simply wander through the text in html or image files.
Montaigne
Special page of resources on Montaigne.

MEDIEVAL
HARVARD-ONLY ACCESS
The "Corpus de la littérature médiévale" (Corpus of Medieval French)
Provides searchable, full text access to hundreds of authoritative editions of narrative prose, chanson de geste, poetry, and
theatre in the langue d'oïl from the ninth century to the end of the 15th century.

Last updated on October 7, 2009