The Complete Lover

Sentiment and sentimental education are central themes in French novels of the 18th century. But what are these fictions really trying to tell the reader about the art and practice of love? What part should the emotions - or the intellect - play in sexual relationships? Will the lover find fulfilment in sophisticated urban society or in the natural world? Is a man's approach to love different from a woman's? These are among the questions raised by this book, which tracks the pursuit of Eros through such works as Crebillon's "Les Egarements du coeur et de l'esprit", Prevost's "Manon Lescaut", Rousseau's "La Nouvelle Heloise", Diderot's "La Religieuse" and Laclos's "Les Liaisons Dangereuses". The author considers the interplay between love and friendship, the portrayal of beauty and the rhetoric of passion. She sheds light on the philosophical ideas which formed increasingly secular theories of human nature. The dual character of the 18th century, it is suggested, is reflected in the lover who becomes complete by allowing reason to guide sentiment.