About this book
Jean-Jacques Rousseau by Jules Lemaître arrives as a sharp, conversational portrait that revives the passions and contradictions of one of the Enlightenment’s most divisive figures. Lemaître frames his work as a series of conferences—clear, intimate literary analyses that track Rousseau’s confessions, his temperament, and the emotional currents behind his ideas. Far from a dry scholarly tome, the book reads like literature: lucid criticism that treats philosophical debates as human drama and even borrows the ebb-and-flow imagery of sea stories to describe the tides of influence sweeping through the 18th and 19th centuries.
Lemaître admits his own changing judgments, tracing how Rousseau’s doctrines shaped modern political and moral thought without surrendering to hagiography or harsh caricature. The lectures illuminate historical context, personal sentiment, and the paradoxes that made Rousseau both prophet and provocateur.
Perfect for listeners who love literary biography, French literature, or intellectual history, this audiobook suits students, book-club members, and curious readers seeking a lively, accessible guide to Rousseau’s life and legacy. Listen for Lemaître’s vivid voice and the humane insight that turns criticism into storytelling.
