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Preface · 1805 · p. 1
French
p. 1[Headpiece: a band of scrolling foliage and rosettes with two putti, and three heads in profile, one at either end and one at the centre.]
PRÉFACE D’ATALA ET DE RENÉ.
(Édition in-12 de 1805.)
L’indulgence, avec laquelle on a bien voulu accueillir mes ouvrages, m’a imposé la loi d’obéir au goût du public, et de céder au conseil de la critique.
Quant au premier, j’ai mis tous mes soins à le satisfaire. Des personnes, chargées de l’instruction de la jeunesse, ont désiré avoir une édition du Génie du Christianisme qui fût dépouillée de cette partie de l’Apologie, uniquement destinée aux gens du monde : malgré la répugnance naturelle que j’avois à mutiler mon ouvrage, et ne considérant que l’utilité publique, j’ai publié l’abrégé que l’on attendoit de moi.
Une autre classe de lecteurs demandoit une édition séparée des deux épisodes de l’ouvrage : je donne aujourd’hui cette édition.
Je dirai maintenant ce que j’ai fait relativement à la critique.
René: Preface · 1805
Source p. 1Preface to Atala and René
The indulgence with which my works have kindly been received has laid on me the law of obeying the taste of the public and of yielding to the counsel of criticism.
As to the first, I have taken every care to satisfy it. Persons charged with the instruction of youth wished to have an edition of the Génie du Christianisme stripped of that part of the Apology intended solely for people of the world: despite the natural repugnance I felt at mutilating my work, and considering only the public good, I have published the abridgement that was expected of me.
Another class of readers asked for a separate edition of the two episodes of the work: I give that edition today.
I shall now say what I have done with regard to criticism.
Socrates
Reading René · Preface · 1805 · Preface · 1805 · p. 1
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.About This Reading Edition
Chateaubriand’s tale of René and Amélie, with the Preface of 1805, two contemporary reviews, and the longer readings of 1802. This French–English edition preserves the 1826 printed pages, with a new English translation, author’s notes, variant readings, introduction and glossary.
Historical Text and Translation
François-René de Chateaubriand, Œuvres complètes, tome XVI (Paris: Ladvocat, 1826), pp. 1–16, 137–192 and 351–358, University of Toronto Library copy. Earlier witness: Génie du Christianisme, tome II (Paris: Migneret, 1802), pp. 158–216, Bibliothèque nationale de France copy.
About Diotimos Editions
This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.
Rights
The historical French source is in the public domain in the United States. New English translation and editorial matter © 2026 Diotimos Editions. Chateaubriand’s author notes and historical variants remain separately attributed.