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Voltaire Almighty
A Life in Pursuit of Freedom
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Check link for latest rating. ( 212 ratings, 30 reviews)
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Voltaire Almighty
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This biography is ideal for readers interested in history, philosophy, and literary figures, especially those fascinated by the Enlightenment era and the intersection of intellectual bravery with colourful personal drama.
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See moreWith its tale of illegitimacy, prison, stardom, exile, love affairs and tireless battles against critic, priest and king, Roger Pearson's brilliant biography brings the father of Enlightenment vividly to life
A remarkable and turbulent life - a lively and irreverent biography
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
During much of his life, Voltaire's plays and verse made him the toast of society, but his barbed wit and commitment to reason also got him into trouble. Jailed twice and eventually banished by the King, he was an outspoken critic of religious intolerance and persecution.
His personal life was as colourful as his intellectual one. Voltaire never married but had long-term affairs with two women: Emilie, who died after giving birth to the child of another lover, and his niece, Marie-Louise, with whom he spent his last twenty-five years.
With its tales of illegitimacy, prison, stardom, exile, love affairs, and tireless battles against critics, Church, and King, Roger Pearson's brilliant biography brings Voltaire vividly to life.
Voltaire Almighty is a captivating account of an extraordinary figure who managed to leave an indelible mark on both society and intellectual thought.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
A. C. Grayling in Literary Review praises it as an "admirable achievement" with a compelling narrative of Voltaire's multifaceted genius and the complexity of 18th-century France. The Observer calls it "excellent, acidly witty," structured like a picaresque novel with sensational twists. The Sunday Telegraph finds it "a lively and erudite tribute," while the Sunday Times describes it as "sparklingly witty and eminently readable."
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780747579571
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 06 November 2006
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Edition: New edition
Illustration: Illustrations
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 480
About the Author
Roger Pearson is Professor of French at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Queen's College. He has translated and edited Candide and Other Stories for Oxford World's Classics and is the author of The Fables of Reason: A Study of Voltaire's Contes Philosophiques. His other publications include books on Stendhal and Mallarme.
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