Las ilustres francesas

The Parisian Robert Challe (1659-1721) was an author shrouded in mystery. During his lifetime, he published only Les Illustres Français (1713)—which appeared anonymously—and a Continuation of the History of the Admirable Don Quixote of La Mancha (1713), two books that enjoyed resounding success. He was a traveler, sailor, and merchant. After his death, travel journals and memoirs were published in which his autobiographical experiences were interwoven with numerous fictional elements. Les Illustres Français is one of the finest novels from the later years of Louis XIV, and also one of the most famous of its time. During the 18th century alone, the work was published fifteen times and distributed in foreign countries such as Germany, England, and the Netherlands. However, from the end of the Enlightenment onward, and despite its clear influence on later narrative, the work fell into oblivion and was not properly rediscovered and given due attention until recent decades. This edition presents the first Spanish translation of an indisputable French classic, whose liberal and amorous stories contributed to the development of the so-called libertine novel and, with it, to that of modern fiction narrative in general.