The philosophy of La Rochefoucauld, which influenced French intellectuals as diverse as Voltaire and the Jansenists, is captured here in more than 600 penetrating and pithy aphorisms.



For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) was a French classical author who was one of the most active rebels of the Fronde before becoming the leading proponent of the maxime, a French literary form of epigram that expresses severe or contradictory facts with brevity. La Rochefoucauld published only two works, the Mémoires and the Maximes. Additionally, about 150 letters have been collected with 19 shorter pieces, now known as Réflexions diverses.



Leonard Tancock (1902-1986) was an eminent translator of French and a renowned scholar. He taught French at University College London and is best known for his translation of classic French literature, including works by Émile Zola, Voltaire, and Guy de Maupassant.