Jean-Jacques Rousseau (review)

Although it is not stated, this is a one-volume reprint of Trousson's biography, first published by Tallandier in two volumes in 1988 and 1989 respectively. The original titles of the two volumes (La Marche à la gloire, and Le Deuil éclatant du bonheur) form the two 'parties' of this reprint. Although this is not made explicit by any preface or mention of a reprint or second edition, the current work corrects odd errors — mainly typographical from the original, updates the bibliography, and makes brief reference to some of these new works; otherwise the work remains relatively unchanged. There is no need to repeat comments previously made by David Williams (see FS, XLIV, 65–66; XLV, 209–10), except to say, for the benefit of readers unfamiliar with the original version, that this biography, aimed not at a specialist but at a general and student readership, can be recommended as a lively and well-written guide, including up-to-date bibliography of the most important studies of various aspects of Rousseau and his œuvre, and whose presentation is as attractive as its subject is intriguing.