the strange mentality of 18th century French
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I was given this book as part of an assignment in my history class as an introduction to semiotic history. Robert Daunton aims to unleash the mystery surrounding the mentalities of the French during the Enlightenment period. Throughout the chapters he builds his case but has invited the reader to decide if he has succeeded in his investigations and evidence. The folk tales of the peasant villagers, the bizarre massacre of cats in a printing shop are samples of his ideas. His theory is that if one cannot understand a joke from the past that this is the place to start to unravel the lost meaning behind it. It was a fascinating read and I am sure that I will benefit from his "enlightenment" into this obscure period in times past.
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