Selected Letters, Orations, and Rhetorical Dialogues by Madeleine de Scudéry (review)

Book Reviews153 incendiary class issues being played out in Jacques and Raoule's daring mésalliance. Again, the explosive polyvalence ofthe couple's ever-changing uses of "tu" and "vous" is admirably elucidated thanks to diligent notes, contextualizing both the linguistic and cultural subtleties as they unfold. This is an exceptional text not only for its versatility in the classroom but also for its compelling storytelling. Monsieur Vénus is a worthy addition to the "Texts andTranslations" series, at last bringing Rachilde's singular strangeness and style to a readership under-acquainted with this distinctive voice in French decadent literature. Katherine GantzSt. Mary's College ofMaryland Scudéry, Madeleine de. SelectedLetters, Orations, andRhetoricalDialogues. Ed. and trans. Jane Donawerth and Julie Strongson. Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2004. Ppix-xxxi; 174. ISBN 0-226-14403-8. $60.00 (Cloth). ISBN 0-226-14404-6. $25.00 (Paper). This book is part of the series "The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe ," from the University of Chicago Press. It contains translations of selected writings by Madeleine de Scudéry, two introductions, two bibliographies , and an index. The Series Editors' Introduction, by Margaret L. King and Albert Rabil Jr., gives background pertaining to early modern Europe and the role of the "other voice." After a brief section labeled "The Old Voice and the Other Voice," a section entitled "Traditional Views ofWomen, 500 BCE-1500 CE" covers Greek, Roman, and Medieval perspectives, with special attention to Christianity and family roles. This is followed by "The Other Voice, 13001700 ," which discusses humanism, female authors including Christine de Pisan, "catalogs" praising women, the querelle desfemmes, treatises against misogyny, the witch trials, women patrons, and issues of chastity, power, speech, and knowledge. The Volume Editors' Introduction delves further into "The Other Voice," particularly as it pertains to Madeline de Scudéry. It includes a biographical sketch, followed by "Women and Rhetoric in the Renaissance," "Scudéry as Rhetorical Theorist," "Scudéry and Sappho," and "Texts." The section on Scudéry and rhetorical theory is particularly useful for its explanation of the editors' choice of texts, including summaries thereof. The first section ofthe translation itselfcontains excerpts from the Lettres amoureuses de divers autheurs de ce temps (1641), which has only recently been identified as Scudéry's work and for which no modern French edition exists. The editors believe that this collection, presented as correspondence between two women, was written and compiled by Scudéry as a handbook of how to write effective letters. Letters and Responses 2, 20, 22, and 34 are presented, as are Letters 35, 36, 53, 54, and 56. 1 54Women in French Studies The letters are followed by four of the orations found in Les femmes illustres, ou, Les harangues héroïques, de Mr de Scudéry (1665), which are attributed to Madeleine though they were published in her brother's name. It is a collection of imagined speeches in which the speakers, all women, demonstrate considerable rhetorical skill in the face of great adversity. The translation is based on the 1665 edition; a 1991 edition does exist (Paris: Côté Femmes), but the editors find it to be unreliable. Each text is preceded by an "Argument," in which Scudéry sets the scene, and is followed by "The Effect of this Oration," in which she evaluates the effectiveness of each orator. The speeches included are "Mariam to Herod," "Sophonisba to Masinissa," "Zenobia to Her Daughters," and "Sappho to Erinna." The final section contains translations of four "Conversations," translated as "Rhetorical Dialogues." The titles are largely self-explanatory, and include "On Conversation," a translation of "De la conversation," followed by "On Speaking Too Much or Too Little and How to Speak Well" ("De parler trop ou trop peu et comment il faut parler"). Then comes "On Wit," a translation of "De la raillerie," and lastly "Conversation on the Manner of Writing Letters," from "Conversation de la manière d'écrire des lettres." The first and third dialogues had earlier versions in Artamène, ou Le grand Cyrus, while the second and fourth first appeared in Clélie. The first three were then modified for the Conversations sur divers sujets (1680) while the fourth...