Jacques the Fatalist and the Master
Diderot, Denis; Coward, David
ISBN 10: 019953795X ISBN 13: 9780199537952
Published by Oxford University Press, 2009
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About this Item
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Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G019953795XI3N00
Synopsis:
'Your Jacques is a tasteless mishmash of things that happen, some of them true, others made up, written without style and served up like a dog's breakfast.'
Jacques the Fatalist is Diderot's answer to the problem of existence. If human beings are determined by their genes and their environment, how can they claim to be free to want or do anything? Where are Jacques and his Master going? Are they simply occupying space, living mechanically until they die, believing erroneously that they are in charge of their Destiny? Diderot intervenes to cheat our expectations of what fiction should be and do, and behaves like a provocative, ironic and unfailingly entertaining master of revels who finally show why Fate is not to be equated with doom.
In the introduction to this brilliant new translation, David Coward explains the philosophical basis of Diderot's fascination with Fate and shows why Jacques the Fatalist pioneers techniques of fiction which, two centuries on, novelists still regard as experimental.
ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
About the Author:
David Coward is Senior Fellow and Emeritus Professor of French Literature at the University of Leeds.
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Bibliographic Details
Title: Jacques the Fatalist and the Master
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2009
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket