Project Gutenberg 2014-08-19 Public domain in the USA. 904 La Bruyère, Jean de 1645 1696 La Bruyere, Jean de Bruyère, Jean de la De la Bruyère, Jean Van Laun, Henri 1820 1896 Laun, Henri van Laun, Henry Van Les caractères. English The "Characters" of Jean de La Bruyère Introduction -- Biographical memoir -- Preface -- Of works of the mind -- Of personal merit -- Of women -- Of the affections -- Of society and of conversation -- Of the gifts of fortune -- Of the town -- Of the court -- Of the great -- Of the sovereign and the state -- Of mankind -- Of opinions -- Of fashion -- Of certain customs -- Of the pulpit -- Of freethinkers. Produced by Gary Rees, Turgut Dincer and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) "The 'Characters' of Jean de La Bruyère" by Jean de La Bruyère is a collection of moral and social reflections written in the late 17th century. The work examines human nature and the follies of society, presenting a series of character sketches that criticize and illuminate the social norms and behaviors of the time. La Bruyère himself is highlighted as a keen observer and critic of the human condition, drawing on his experiences within the court and social circles of his era. At the start of "Characters," the introduction offers insight into La Bruyère's perspective on morality, literature, and society. It makes clear that while he does not aim to create maxims, his work is a detailed observation of the humankind's passions and vices. He states that his characters are composites drawn from various individuals, allowing for a broader commentary on human nature rather than merely painting specific portraits. This section sets the tone for an exploration of societal behavior at the end of the 17th century, where La Bruyère's nuanced critique addresses the superficiality of human interactions and the consequences of pride and Vanity amidst the backdrop of Louis XIV's courtly life. (This is an automatically generated summary.) file:///public/vhost/g/gutenberg/html/files/46633/46633-h/images/cover.jpg Reading ease score: 56.4 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Characters and characteristics Character sketches -- Early works to 1800 PQ Text Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: Classics of Literature Category: French Literature 1223124 2025-07-18T16:50:04.180983 text/html 1221722 2024-10-24T10:04:55 text/html 1569587 2025-07-18T16:50:21.119937 application/epub+zip 1586225 2025-07-18T16:50:07.811030 application/epub+zip 509848 2025-07-18T16:50:06.314987 application/epub+zip 1909009 2025-07-18T16:50:30.059884 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1861314 2025-07-18T16:50:19.483899 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 788780 2022-09-21T08:03:01.932339 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 958515 2025-07-18T16:50:01.489613 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 938591 2024-10-24T10:04:55 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19143 2025-07-18T16:50:30.218870 application/rdf+xml 26703 2025-07-18T16:50:06.526959 image/jpeg 3444 2025-07-18T16:50:06.422019 image/jpeg 1433187 2025-07-18T16:50:05.079023 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog fr.wikipedia en.wikipedia en.wikipedia