A History of French Literature Short Histories of the Literatures of the World: II.

"A History of French Literature" by Edward Dowden, paints a portrait of the progression of French writing from the Middle Ages to the Romantic era and later. It shines a light on important writers, different categories of writing, and the changing styles of writing during those times. The book begins by talking about how much there is to know about French writing and that many people need to work together to really understand it. The introduction sets the scene for looking at French literature by first thinking about the poems and stories from medieval times, like religious stories, exciting stories in epic poems like "The Song of Roland", and the start of poetry. From this start, readers can expect a full study of the social, historical, and cultural things that have influenced French literature through the years.