This volume investigates the intellectual, social, and aesthetic currents that defined French literature during the eighteenth century. John Cruickshank, a noted scholar of French studies, compiles a series of essays that examine how the Enlightenment, the rise of the philosophes, and shifting political structures influenced the literary output of the era. The work argues that the literature of this period cannot be understood in isolation from the broader philosophical and cultural transformations occurring in France.

Scholars and students of French literature frequently cite this series as a reliable, foundational resource for understanding the historical context of the Enlightenment. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is designed for those already familiar with the primary literary works of the eighteenth century.