The literary underground of the Old Regime
Darnton, Robert
From Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A.
AbeBooks Seller Since June 7, 2002
Quantity: 1From Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A.
AbeBooks Seller Since June 7, 2002
Quantity: 1About this Item
Some pencil underlining and markings. Torn/worn dj. Good hardcover with some shelfwear; may have previous owner's name inside. Standard-sized. Seller Inventory # mon0000200093
Bibliographic Details
Title: The literary underground of the Old Regime
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Publication Date: 1982
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
About this title
Robert Darnton introduces us to the shadowy world of pirate publishers, garret scribblers, under-the-cloak book peddlers, smugglers, and police spies that composed the literary underground of the Enlightenment.
Here are the ambitious writers who crowded into Paris seeking fame and fortune within the Republic of Letters, but who instead sank into the miserable world of Grub Street-victims of a closed world of protection and privilege. Venting their frustrations in an illicit literature of vitriolic pamphlets, libelles, and chroniques scandaleuses, these "Rousseaus of the gutter" desecrated everything sacred in the social order of the Old Regime. Here too are the workers who printed their writings and the clandestine booksellers who distributed them.
While censorship, a monopolistic guild, and the police contained the visible publishing industry within the limits of official orthodoxies, a prolific literary underworld disseminated a vast illegal literature that conveyed a seditious ideology to readers everywhere in France. Covering their traces in order to survive, the creators of this eighteenth-century counterculture have virtually disappeared from history. By drawing on an ingenious selection of previously hidden sources, such as police ledgers and publishers' records, Robert Darnton reveals for the first time the fascinating story of that forgotten underworld.
The activities of the underground bear on a broad range of issues in history and literature, and they directly concern the problem of uncovering the ideological origins of the French Revolution. This engaging book illuminates those issues and provides a fresh view of publishing history that will inform and delight the general reader.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Store Description
We guarantee the condition of every book as it is described on the Abebooks website. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the order has not arrived, you may be eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. If you have changed your mind about a book that you have ordered, please use the Ask bookseller a question link to contact us and our customer service team will typically respond within 2 business days.
* * * All books are packed with great care! * * * DOMESTIC SHIPPING OPTIONS for standard-sized books: USPS PRIORITY MAIL (takes business 3-7 days to arrive in the continental U.S.) - $9.00 for the 1st book and $6.00 for a 2nd book. ... BOOK RATE SHIPPING ("media mail", takes 1-4 weeks to arrive in the continental U.S.; please note that media mail delivery to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, APO/FPO addresses, and US territories can take 6-8 weeks) - $6.00 for the 1st book and $3.00 for each additional book. MEDIA MAIL BOOKS ARE TYPICALLY SEALED IN A HIGH-QUALITY PLASTIC BAG AND THEN PACKAGED IN A STRONG CARDBOARD BOX. Some extremely small, very light items receive a First-Class upgrade and may ship in a First-Class bubblewrap-lined mailer. ... AIRMAIL SHIPPING TO CANADA: Price varies based on rate. Please contact us for details. Oversized or heavy items may require additional postage.... OTHER INTERNATIONAL AIRMAIL SHIPPING: Shipping by DHL service whenever possible with typical delivery in 5-14 business days. Oversized or heavy items may require additional postage.... If your book is HEAVY or OVERSIZED, we will contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.
Payment Methods
accepted by seller