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Diotimos Library · Literary Fiction Collection · Bilingual Edition

François-René de Chateaubriand

René

With the Preface of 1805 and two reviews reprinted by the author

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RenéRené · p. 192

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French Page · Branch 77 of 94

René · p. 192

French

p. 192

son épouse, mais sans y trouver le bonheur. Il périt peu de temps après avec Chactas et le père Souël, dans le massacre des François et des Natchez à la Louisiane. On montre encore un rocher où il alloit s’asseoir au soleil couchant.

[Tailpiece: an urn on a low plinth, draped with a veil that falls to either side, with a sheaf of wheat-ears tied at its top.]

p. 192

René

Source p. 192

his wife, but without finding happiness there. He perished soon afterwards, with Chactas and Father Souël, in the massacre of the French and the Natchez in Louisiana. A rock is still shown where he used to go and sit at sunset.

Source p. 192

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.