Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)

Really just an astonishing memoir, and not at all what I was expecting. Instead of a dry, didactic, rationalist, Enlightenment-era reflection, this is a warts-and-all, somewhat unreliable, page-turner that includes several jaw-dropping revelations. He gave all five of his children away to a foundling hospital!! He shacked up with his mistress Therese (who was the daughter of his servant). He was involved in at least one menage a trois.

The Confessions does not include any discussion of Rousseau's philosophy, although through his gradual turn to misanthropy and his retreat to nature, he exemplifies a sort of proto-Romantic hero. Because his work was considered heretical by the Jesuits in France, he was forced into exile and spent several years running from one safe haven to another. The Confessions is the earliest memoir I have read that feels contemporary. Augustine's Confessions were written ultimately to make converts; Rousseau on the other hand, wants to tell the truth of his life.… (more)

Book title and author: Confessions (1782) By Jean-Jacques Rousseau reviewed
6-17-23

“The Confessions Of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Complete
By Jean Jacques Rousseau
(In 12 books)
Privately Printed for the Members of the Aldus Society
London, 1903

The Confessions is an autobiographical book by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In modern times, it is often published with the title The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in order to distinguish it from Saint Augustine's Confessions. Covering the first fifty-three years of Rousseau's life, up to 1765, it was completed in 1769, but not published until 1782, four years after Rousseau's death, even though Rousseau did read excerpts of his manuscript publicly at various salons and other meeting places.
Rousseau's work is notable as one of the first major autobiographies. Prior to the Confessions, the two great autobiographies were Augustine's own Confessions and Saint Teresa's Life of Herself. However, both of these works focused on the religious experiences of their authors; the Confessions was one of the first autobiographies in which “an individual wrote of his own life mainly in terms of his worldly experiences and personal feelings. Rousseau recognized the unique nature of his work; it opens with the famous words: "I have resolved on an enterprise which has no precedent and which, once complete, will have no imitator. My purpose is to display to my kind a portrait in every way true to nature, and the man I shall portray will be myself." His example was soon followed: not long after publication, many other writers (such as Goethe, Wordsworth, Stendhal, De Quincey, Casanova and Alfieri) wrote their own autobiographies in a similar fashion.
The Confessions is noted for its detailed account of Rousseau's more humiliating and shameful moments. For instance, Rousseau recounts an incident when, while a servant, he covered up his theft of a ribbon by framing a young girl – who was working in the house – for the crime. In addition, Rousseau explains the manner in which he disposes of the five children he had with Thérèse Levasseur.
Pope Pius VII placed The Confessions on the list of prohibited books of the Roman Index of 1806. In France, it was also among the works which Etuenne Antoine, “bishop of Troyne, condemned in 1821 as godless and sacrilegious, and under canonical law, he prohibited the printing or selling the book within the territory of the diocese. U.S. Customs banned the book from entry in 1929, but revered the ban the following year.”

Why I picked this book up: this was the next book in the Banned Books Compendium: 32 Classic Forbidden Books that I won in April 2023. “Confessions was banned by U.S. Customs in 1929 as injurious to public morality. His philosophical works were also banned in the USSR in 1935.” and I wanted to know why. So far this is the 11th book and really, imo, I haven’t really liked many of them.

Thoughts: It starts as a child and this opened my eyes to what it would be like growing up where he did and comparing how blessed I have been through life. The difficulty of lacking, temptation, $, desire, theft/stealing and vices. It seemed to me he wanted to be seen for his intent and not so much for his actions. Later, more darker aspects in life are written that sickened me how he intended to adopt and raise a little girl to betray her innocence but he didn’t. He seemed to have some guilt but not regret.

Why I finished this read: overall, I did not appreciate this book. I’m not claiming to be perfect, and I understand he laid out this life, thoughts but I had no real desire to finish but I did so I can close the book. I will never read it again.

Stars rating: 1 of 5 because the first section I appreciated his self focus and development then it turned to things I do not appreciate and want gone.… (more)