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Book Summary and Reviews of The Philosopher's Kiss by Peter Prange

The Philosopher's Kiss by Peter Prange

The Philosopher's Kiss

A Novel

by Peter Prange

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  • Published:
  • Apr 2011, 432 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Paris, 1747. Betrayed by God and humanity, Sophie moves to the seething capital of the kingdom. To survive, she works at Café Procope, the meeting place for freethinkers and revolutionaries.

Against her will she falls deeply in love with one of the regular customers: Denis Diderot, the famed philosopher and a married man. He and his colleagues are planning the most dangerous book in the world since the appearance of the Bible: an encyclopedia. Even more explosive are the covert references in the Encyclopedia that threaten to undermine both the monarchy and the church. But Sophie soon realizes that the stakes are even higher for her personally. At risk are her right to freedom, love, and happiness.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"This historic tale is compelling and well written, and Prange particularly brings Paris to vivid life.... [F]ans of historical fiction will find plenty to like." - Publishers Weekly

"Despite some soapy bits, [The Philosopher's Kiss] deserves to score with American audiences too." - Kirkus Reviews

"While the historical information is unobtrusive and enhances the story, the two-dimensional characters and unbelievable coincidences detract." - Library Journal

"Prange's The Philosopher's Kiss... is a careful study of the origins of the Encyclopedia and the life and love of one of its creators, Diderot. Here is historical fiction at its finest - meticulously researched with superbly drawn characters, edifying and entertaining." - Indu Sundaresan, author of The Twentieth Wife and Shadow Princess

This information about The Philosopher's Kiss was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Diane S.

The Philosopher's Kiss
Amazing book set in Paris and Versailles about the making of the encyclopedia. We take so much for granted now but these philosophers, Diderot, Voltaire and others actually put their lives on the line to make this book for the future. It was considered heresy by the Catholic Church and stopped again and again by the French crown. Also imparted interesting facts about their personal lives including Diderot's love affair with Sophie Volland whose own mother had been burned as a witch. Historical fiction fans will find much to appreciate with this book.

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Author Information

Peter Prange

Peter Prange, born 1955, did his PhD thesis on philosophy and the history of life and customs during the Enlightenment. He lives in Tubingen, Germany with his wife.

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