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The Forbidden Bestsellers of
Prerevolutionary France:
Robert C. Darnton
What did the French read in the eighteenth century?
Whatever it was, according to Daniel Mornet, it was not what we commonly
take to be eighteenth-century French literature. According to the work done by
Morten, and the 20000 books he found in library catalogues, he only found one
copy of Rousseau’s Social contract. Thus, coming to a conclusion that this
book or that of Voltaire’s did not affect the Revolution.
He ended his work with 1780 and probably Social contract blew up after that.
He also ignored the popularized versions of the Social Contract - One in Book 5
of Emile.
ROBERT C. DARTON’S TAKE ON STUDYING 18TH CENTURY FRENCH
LITERATURE
The author now discusses the complexity of studying French literature in the
eighteenth century, particularly focusing on illegal literature. The author
acknowledges the vastness of French literature during this period but aims to
narrow their inquiry to the forbidden sector. This forbidden sector comprised
a significant portion and included materials that were considered illegal due to
The Forbidden Bestsellers of Prerevolutionary France: Robert C. Darnton 1
, censorship, book police, and the monopolistic practices of booksellers'
guilds. The author highlights that publishing without official approval was
difficult and dangerous. There were various gradations of legality, from royal
privileges to different forms of permission.
However, there was a distinct category of clearly forbidden books that were
completely outside the law. This category was substantial and encompassed
much of what later became associated with the intellectual origins of the
French Revolution, including Enlightenment literature.
Identifying irredeemably illegal literature from the eighteenth century is
challenging, as it doesn't always have overt indicators of its forbidden nature.
Also, what may seem revolutionary to a 18th century person may not seem
such to a 20th century one. Some titles are explicit, while others appear quite
ordinary. To distinguish these "bad" books, various authorities like the police,
the king's council, and bishops issued condemnations, and public hangmen
destroyed them in ceremonies. However, these actions didn't leave sufficient
documentation to study all illegal literature. The best approach is to consult
records from the publishing industry, as professionals had to recognize
forbidden literature due to the risks of selling it.
In the eighteenth century, "philosophy" wasn't merely an abstract concept for
publishers; it was an integral part of their daily business.
HOW THE PUBLISHING HOUSE OPERATED IN 18TH CENTURY?
Publishers often produced two types of catalogs: one, for legal books, which
included their name and address, and another titled "Livres philosophiques"
featuring exclusively highly illegal works while omitting any incriminating
information. Sales representatives discreetly carried these "philosophical book"
catalogs when making their rounds.
Booksellers, in a bid to identify and order these forbidden works, employed
various methods.
They marked egregiously illegal titles with an X, separated them from the legal
section of their order, or scribbled the titles on scraps of paper that were to be
destroyed after receiving the covering letter. When shipments of
"philosophical books" returned from the publisher, they were concealed in the
crate's bottom, hidden in packing materials, or buried within legal works
through a technique called "marrying." Publishers would insert sheets of
illegal works into legal ones, taking advantage of the fact that books were often
The Forbidden Bestsellers of Prerevolutionary France: Robert C. Darnton 2
The Forbidden Bestsellers of
Prerevolutionary France:
Robert C. Darnton
What did the French read in the eighteenth century?
Whatever it was, according to Daniel Mornet, it was not what we commonly
take to be eighteenth-century French literature. According to the work done by
Morten, and the 20000 books he found in library catalogues, he only found one
copy of Rousseau’s Social contract. Thus, coming to a conclusion that this
book or that of Voltaire’s did not affect the Revolution.
He ended his work with 1780 and probably Social contract blew up after that.
He also ignored the popularized versions of the Social Contract - One in Book 5
of Emile.
ROBERT C. DARTON’S TAKE ON STUDYING 18TH CENTURY FRENCH
LITERATURE
The author now discusses the complexity of studying French literature in the
eighteenth century, particularly focusing on illegal literature. The author
acknowledges the vastness of French literature during this period but aims to
narrow their inquiry to the forbidden sector. This forbidden sector comprised
a significant portion and included materials that were considered illegal due to
The Forbidden Bestsellers of Prerevolutionary France: Robert C. Darnton 1
, censorship, book police, and the monopolistic practices of booksellers'
guilds. The author highlights that publishing without official approval was
difficult and dangerous. There were various gradations of legality, from royal
privileges to different forms of permission.
However, there was a distinct category of clearly forbidden books that were
completely outside the law. This category was substantial and encompassed
much of what later became associated with the intellectual origins of the
French Revolution, including Enlightenment literature.
Identifying irredeemably illegal literature from the eighteenth century is
challenging, as it doesn't always have overt indicators of its forbidden nature.
Also, what may seem revolutionary to a 18th century person may not seem
such to a 20th century one. Some titles are explicit, while others appear quite
ordinary. To distinguish these "bad" books, various authorities like the police,
the king's council, and bishops issued condemnations, and public hangmen
destroyed them in ceremonies. However, these actions didn't leave sufficient
documentation to study all illegal literature. The best approach is to consult
records from the publishing industry, as professionals had to recognize
forbidden literature due to the risks of selling it.
In the eighteenth century, "philosophy" wasn't merely an abstract concept for
publishers; it was an integral part of their daily business.
HOW THE PUBLISHING HOUSE OPERATED IN 18TH CENTURY?
Publishers often produced two types of catalogs: one, for legal books, which
included their name and address, and another titled "Livres philosophiques"
featuring exclusively highly illegal works while omitting any incriminating
information. Sales representatives discreetly carried these "philosophical book"
catalogs when making their rounds.
Booksellers, in a bid to identify and order these forbidden works, employed
various methods.
They marked egregiously illegal titles with an X, separated them from the legal
section of their order, or scribbled the titles on scraps of paper that were to be
destroyed after receiving the covering letter. When shipments of
"philosophical books" returned from the publisher, they were concealed in the
crate's bottom, hidden in packing materials, or buried within legal works
through a technique called "marrying." Publishers would insert sheets of
illegal works into legal ones, taking advantage of the fact that books were often
The Forbidden Bestsellers of Prerevolutionary France: Robert C. Darnton 2
