Eloisa: Or, a Series of Original Letters

Description

Eloisa: Or, a Series of Original Letters is the first English translation of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Julie, ou La Nouvelle Héloïse — one of the most influential novels of the 18th century.

Written in letters, the novel tells the story of the forbidden love between Saint-Preux, a middle-rank tutor, and his aristocratic student Eloisa. Their passionate correspondence explores themes of social rank, premarital love, women’s autonomy, and the meaning of virtue.

The novel is structured in four volumes. The first two volumes follow the young lovers in the full flush of their passion, ultimately compelled to part by the demands of society. The later volumes revisit the characters years later: Eloisa has become a devoted wife and mother, while Saint-Preux has traveled the world. Their reunion at Eloisa’s country manor presents a unique vision of domestic bliss — and a shocking conclusion that forces readers to grapple with the novel’s deepest questions.

Originally published in 1761, Julie was the best-selling novel of the century. It inspired a cult of sensibility across Europe and profoundly influenced the Romantic movement. Rousseau’s exploration of authentic feeling versus social convention, his vivid descriptions of Alpine nature, and his revolutionary ideas about education and domestic life make this a landmark of world literature.

This edition uses William Kenrick’s spirited 1761 translation, complete with the translator’s original preface and Rousseau’s celebrated dialogue on the nature of romance.