Sainte-Beuve articles on the Mémoires de Lafayette

What it is

This is a critical review of the memoirs, correspondence and manuscripts of General Lafayette, published by his family. It appeared in the Revue des Deux Mondes in 1838, a few years after Lafayette's death. The article is written in French and begins by noting that the first three volumes had appeared many months earlier.

Why it matters

Lafayette's life spanned the American and French revolutions, and by 1838 the critic argues that the revolutionary period had become a settled part of history. The review shows how French readers of the 1830s judged a man who had lived through those events, and how his own published account was received.

Look closer

• The reviewer writes about the revolution as something now finished. What does that suggest about how the 1830s readers viewed the past?
• Why might a family publish a figure's memoirs, and how could that affect the picture given?
• Whose voice is heard in this review, and whose is missing?