ISBN Confessions 720 pages English

No one can write a man's life except himself.' In his Confessions Jean-Jacques Rousseau tells the story of his life from the formative experience of his humble childhood in Geneva through the achievement of international fame as novelist and philosopher in Paris to his wanderings as an exile persecuted by governments and alienated from the world of modern civilization. In trying to explain who he was and how he came to be the object of others' admiration and abuse Rousseau analyses with unique insight the relationship between an elusive but essential inner self and the variety of social identities he was led to adopt. The book vividly illustrates the mixture of moods and motives that underlie the writing of autobiography: defiance and vulnerability self-exploration and denial passion puzzlement and detachment. Above all Confessions is Rousseau's search through every resource of language to convey what he despairs of putting into words: the personal quality of one's own existence. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study and much more.