A From the Beginning to 1800 Saintsbury, George 1845-1933 creator text utu 2008 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "A History of the French Novel, Vol. 1" by George Saintsbury is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The book explores the development and significance of the French novel, tracing its origins to the end of the 19th century. Saintsbury emphasizes the pleasure derived from literature and seeks to outline how the French novel evolved, analyzing its prominent authors and works along the way. The opening of this work introduces the author’s intent and methodology, emphasizing a unique approach to literary history that values both major and minor contributions to the genre. Saintsbury discusses the beginnings of prose fiction and its distinct characteristics, referencing classical influences and early narrative forms like the Saint's Life, before detailing how these earlier works shaped French romance and eventually the novel. This section sets the stage for a comprehensive exploration of key figures in French literature and the broader cultural contexts that gave rise to this literary tradition. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2008-10-08 Produced by Lee Dawei, Josephine Paolucci and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. Original publication data not identified French fiction -- History and criticism PQ Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26838 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26838 UtSlPG 260607 20260610133619.0 26838