In my fanfic writing and role-playing and the like, I have had to do quite a bit of studying- and in now small part, for the sorts of things our Les Mis heros might have seen or read in that period. So, i thought i'd provide a bit of a list of likely stuffs that they- particularily the students, might have been familiar with... if you have anything to add to this, feel free to send it here, and i'll get it up. Useful!

• Books for Pleasure

• Abelard and Heloise- A romantic couple of the Romeo and Juliet school of tragedy, there were innumerable versions of their tale done in the 18th century.
• Honoré Balzac- La Vendetta, 1830. romance, set in Sicily, methinks.
• Giovanni Boccacio- The Decamaeron; 15th century, especially good for female characters looking for something to read. A collection of 100 tales, 10 a day, set in plauge Italy, told by 10 young men and ladies on holiday. Really excellent, in general.
• Le Bon Roi: Parodie; Le Bon Dieu; le Vin et La Liberté- Available from Marrast's press, soemthing, i think that would be especially appropriate for the bookshelf of Grantaire. Cost 10 c.
• Buffon- 18th century Pages Choiser
• Byron- (yes, romance, lots of Gloombunny-Monte Cristo type stuff.) Lara, 1814; Manfred, 1817; Werner, 1822; Corsair, 1814
• Miguel Cervantes Don Quixote, Part 1 in 1605, part 2 in 1615.
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge- The Watchman in 1796, "Kubla Khan" and "Cristabel" were published in 1816. Also; Lay Sermons, Biographia Litaeria (1817), Aids to reflection (1825), Poetical works, (1828), Church and State (1830)
• Comoes- Lusiads, pub. in the 1500's.
• James Fenmore Cooper- an American, but very popular in France at the time.
• Charles Denoustier- a writer of overblown prose who died in 1801; apparently, he translated & embellished greek myths.
• Diederot- 18th Century OEuvres Choises
• Alexandre Dumas- his historical scenes were published serially in Revue des Deux Mondes, in 1831. Sadly, that is all of his novella our intrepid heros would know (lest they are barricade survivors!)
• Antoine Galland- translated a semi-decent version of the Arabian Nights between 1704-17.
• Victor Hugo- Oh yes! Notre Dame de Paris was very popular when it was published in 1831.
• Louis Labé- Débat de folie et d'amour, (Lyons, 1566)
• Lesage- le diable boiteux (the devil on two sticks), also a play.
• Frederick Marryat- still looking for titles, but popular as Cooper.
• Maynard- 17th century poet
• Montesquieu- 18th century; Letters.
• Charles Nodier- (romantic writer) Jean Sbogar, 1818; Lord Ruthvien ou Les Vampires, 1820
• Charles Perrault-
• Le Petit Poucet, a collection of fairy tales published in 1697
• The Romance of the Rose- 16th or 17th century, either France or Italy, i don't remember. Romance, obviously.
• Racine- 17th century ecriver, Andromaque; Athale; Esther; Phedre
• Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade-- Dialouge Between a Priest and a Dying Man, 1782; Les journées de sodome (the 120 days of Sodom), 1782-85; Les Infortunes de la Vertu, 1787; Justine 1791; Philosophy in the Bedroom 1795; Ailine et Valvour, 1795; Juliette ou la suite de Justine 1798; Idées sur les romans' 1800; Les crimes de l'amour, 1800; La Marquise de Ganges, 1813.
• Voltaire- Candide, 1759; OEuvres philosophiques; OEuveres Critiques et poetiques; Siécle de Louis XIV; Charles XII; letters; Zaire

• Books for revolution

• Burke- An Englishman, mais..Reflections on the Revolution in France, 1791; Speeches and Letters, 1790, 1791.
• The Evil and its Remedy; Memorial on the Militia of the Army, 1789.
• de Favras-Principles opposed to the System of M. Necker, 1790
• Impulse of the Heart and Mind, or Justice rendered to the Queen, 1791
• The King's Household: what it was, what it is, and what it should be, 1789
• The Naviget antyciras, or System without Principles, 1791.
• Noveau Catechisme Francais- Available in paperback from the press of Armand Marrast, 10 c.
• Plan for a Free and Happy Constitution, 1790.
• Porquoi je suis Republican; La Bonnet de la Liberté- Available from Marrast, terribly cute title, methinks, and soemthing no republican bookshelf should be without. 10 c.
• Priere du Soir du Matin, Declaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen.- Available from the press of Armand Marrast, who, in 1832, published the trial processes of the Cloitre St. Merry 22 and the 15 Socite des Amis du Peuple.. naturally, these occured after 5 & J juin, but the other revolutionary propaganda, (particularily 'Rights of man and the Citizen', which i believe was by Lafayette), would have been available. These pamphlets were priced to distribute at 10 centimes.
• The reign of Louis XVI. placed before the Eyes of Europe, 1791.
• Rosseau- The Social Contract, La Nouvelle Héloise; Emile; Dialouges, Reveries, Correspondance; Les Confessions; Discours
• La Tricolore- Available from the press of Armand Marrast, 10 c.
• The True Patriot- i'll find out who it's by... But definately an Enjolraic bestseller, from the title.

• Books for School

• Aeschylus- the Orestia, hen: Orestes and Pylades :)
• Aristophanes- the Lysistrata; the Thesemophoriazusae; Ecclesiazusae; Plutus
• Aristotle- Poetics
• Arrian- The Campaigns of Alexander. Excellent stuff... especially for the militarily minded.
• Arthurian Legends- of various sorts.
• Charles de Beys L'Ospital des fous, 1635. For Joly's shelf!
• Bossuet- Yep, the true Eagle of Meaux... heh.
• Ceasar- Commentaries on the Gallic War.
• Cicero- Letters to Atticus
• Corneille- (17th century)- Le Cid; Horace; Cinna; Polyeucte; le Morte de Pompée
• Dante Alegheri- la Divina Commedia; especially L'inferne. If you don't know else, there are two other books to that; Purgatorio et Paradosio. Essential, absolutely.
• Descartes- Discours de la méthod meditations metiphisiques; Oeuvres Scientifiques
• Erasmus Praise of folly.
• Herodotus- his histories of the world
• Homer- the Illiad and the Odyssey. Of course.
• Horace
• Jornandes
• L'Encyclopédie- published in 1751-52, i forget by whom.
• Livy- Roman Histories. (Titus Livius)
• Longus- Daphnis and Chloe; a romance, good for classic lit courses.
• Machiavelli- The Prince. Of course. :)
• Montaigne
• Cornelius Neppos- de Viris Illustibus (on great men); 99 bc.
• Ovid
• Petronius- Satyricon.
• Plato- The Republic and the Laws, and Apologia (i think that's him) in particular.
• Plutarch
• Shakespere- do i really have to spell his stuff out for you? I've found Julius Ceasar to be of the more pertinent of his works, however.
• Sophocles- The Oedipus Cycle
• Spinoza
• Strada
• Tacitus
• Tristan et Iseut-- for work or play!
• Thucydides
• Vergil- The Aeneid. 1 AD, i think.
• Xenophon- memorabilia; Oeconomicus; An Ephesian tale- (Romance).

• Newspapers

  • Charivari- a satirical paper, published in paris in 1832.
  • Le Constitutional- liberal and anti-clerical when founded in 1815; Anti-Romantic and oppositional by 1830, and also quite popular.
  • La Gazette nationale ou le Moniteur universel- or, Le Moniteur; somewhat liberal, semi-official paper, also, after 1830, rather literary. 1789-1868.
  • Le Journal des debats- 1789 founded, by 1815, ultra-royalist, but soon pro constitutional-monarchy. A little less Liberal after 1830, but known for having excellent writers.
  • Le Messenger des Chambres- Opposition paper from 1828-1840, when it became a government rag. closed in 1846.
  • Revue des Deux Mondes- a paper which published serial novels by such as Alexandre Dumas in the 1830s.
  • The Semaphore de Marsailles- a fishing and trade paper from 1828 to 1830, after that, a rather leftist sheet.

• Operas And Plays

  (dates mentioned are usu. 1st preformances)
• Alexandre Dumas- Henri III et sa cour made him famous in 1829, followed by christine in 1830, Napolean Bonaparte, Antony, Charles VII et ses grande vassaux (Charles VII and the barons), and Richard Darlington in 1831. la Tour de Nesle was also first preformed in may of 1832.
• Beaumarchaise- The Barber of Seville, 1775
• Lesage- Turcaret, 1709
• Mariavaux- Le jeu de l'amour et du hasard, 1730, Arlequin poli par l'amour; L'e prevue
• Moiliere- Naturally! such skits as Le Bourgoise Gentlehomme and, Le Misanthrope (1666)
• Rossini- Otello, 1816 (opera)
• Scribe- another skit-writer of note, L'Ours et le Pacha was first played in 1820. He also co-authored the opera Robert Le Diable with Delarigne in 1831; it was composed by Jaques Meyerbeer.
• Sedane- (I have probably butchered the spelling...), Le philosophe sans le savoir, 1765
• le Vampire- based, methinks, on Nodiers ruthvien. The revival show was in 1823, it's logical to guess that it's still played.

In addition, some of the republican pamphlets i have found prices for- these are paperback editions, and range from 1 franc 50 c., to 10c- cheap! Court proceedings and the like tended to be more expensive... where i have come across a price, i've added it. When i find out more about pricing of books in the 1830's, you shall see it here!

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