Bernardin de Saint-Pierre

‘Paul and Virginia’ (1788) is a novel by Bernardin de St. Pierre. Inspired by his experiences in Mauritius as a young man, the novel was written for children and adults alike. In its depiction of an ideal lifestyle on an island where equality and harmony reign, ‘Paul and Virginia’ is a sharp critique of social conditions in pre-Revolutionary France. It is also a fascinating, albeit problematic artifact of the colonial era, arguing for emancipation...