Texts: Persian Letters
This course will focus on the Persian Letters. Published under cover of anonymity in 1721, this curious and clever epistolary novel rapidly became a runaway bestseller, catapulting its author, quickly unmasked as Charles Louis Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, into fame and fortune. The story of two Persians, Usbek and Rica, who travel to Europe remains—almost three centuries after its publication—a captivating book. By turns insightful philosophical, witty, ironic, and even erotic, the novel merits a close reading; that close reading will be a major focus of the course. We will also set the novel in its historical and literary context, and, by doing so, open a window on the rich world of the Enlightenment.
Department: Division of Arts and Humanities
University: Quest University Canada
Years offered: 2020-2021