What do you think?
Rate this book
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims
"As Rochefoucauld his maxims drew From Nature - I believe them true. They argue no corrupted mind In him; the fault is in mankind."
- Swift.
"Maxims are the condensed good sense of nations."
- Sir J. Mackintosh.
- Swift.
"Maxims are the condensed good sense of nations."
- Sir J. Mackintosh.
53 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2019
About the author
François de La Rochefoucauld
474 books381 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
Other authors publishing under this name are:
François de la Rochefoucauld
François VI, duc de la Rochefoucauld, prince de Marcillac (French: [fʁɑ̃swa d(ə) la ʁɔʃfuko]; 15 September 1613 – 17 March 1680) was a noted French author of maxims and memoirs. It is said that his world-view was clear-eyed and urbane, and that he neither condemned human conduct nor sentimentally celebrated it. Born in Paris on the Rue des Petits Champs, at a time when the royal court was vacillating between aiding the nobility and threatening it, he was considered an exemplar of the accomplished 17th-century nobleman. Until 1650, he bore the title of Prince de Marcillac.
Other authors publishing under this name are:
François de la Rochefoucauld
François VI, duc de la Rochefoucauld, prince de Marcillac (French: [fʁɑ̃swa d(ə) la ʁɔʃfuko]; 15 September 1613 – 17 March 1680) was a noted French author of maxims and memoirs. It is said that his world-view was clear-eyed and urbane, and that he neither condemned human conduct nor sentimentally celebrated it. Born in Paris on the Rue des Petits Champs, at a time when the royal court was vacillating between aiding the nobility and threatening it, he was considered an exemplar of the accomplished 17th-century nobleman. Until 1650, he bore the title of Prince de Marcillac.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 14, 2025
Did the mystical self-examination of the Catholic Counter-Reformation give the impetus to the Duke of Ia Rochefoucauld to dream up these Zingers? For his words are armed and dangerous to our inflated egos…
I wonder. But however we recce his background, his apercus can slice and dice our everyday selves by casting a "sudden shaft of sunlight" upon them!
Bores beware.
There is no fool like an old fool, and they STILL shred my own self-possession, decades after the first reading. Gift this book to a vainglorious enemy and he'll never forgive you - so La Rochefoucauld's maxims cut us ALL to the quick.
And a host of imitators followed him to literary glory - my faves being La Bruyere and, for our 'all work and no play makes for a dull day' more decadent age, Chamfort, who is still uncomfortably cast in the Moraliste mold.
Cyril Connelly's wartime panagyric to the latter author, The Unquiet Grave, is an introspective classic: he describes us moderns as being like Palinurus, Aeneas' drowned steersman, because we have lost our way in life and have fallen asleep, but are constantly prodded awake by the devils of duty.
And that's the bottom line for La Rochefoucauld.
He sees his friends as fast asleep - so slowly awakens them with his cute barbed quips - for as one-liners they also make super party-time ice-breakers.
And if you'd like to see your OWN soul as clearly as your face in the mirror, and likewise awaken to your folly:
Read this book!
I wonder. But however we recce his background, his apercus can slice and dice our everyday selves by casting a "sudden shaft of sunlight" upon them!
Bores beware.
There is no fool like an old fool, and they STILL shred my own self-possession, decades after the first reading. Gift this book to a vainglorious enemy and he'll never forgive you - so La Rochefoucauld's maxims cut us ALL to the quick.
And a host of imitators followed him to literary glory - my faves being La Bruyere and, for our 'all work and no play makes for a dull day' more decadent age, Chamfort, who is still uncomfortably cast in the Moraliste mold.
Cyril Connelly's wartime panagyric to the latter author, The Unquiet Grave, is an introspective classic: he describes us moderns as being like Palinurus, Aeneas' drowned steersman, because we have lost our way in life and have fallen asleep, but are constantly prodded awake by the devils of duty.
And that's the bottom line for La Rochefoucauld.
He sees his friends as fast asleep - so slowly awakens them with his cute barbed quips - for as one-liners they also make super party-time ice-breakers.
And if you'd like to see your OWN soul as clearly as your face in the mirror, and likewise awaken to your folly:
Read this book!
Read
April 12, 2021Pensum. Utdrag
June 25, 2026
拉罗什富科《箴言集》
拉罗什富科的朝代跨越法王路易十三和十四，看前言介绍他的履历生平与投石党有关虽然我一点都想不起来历史上有无学过这个。
从箴言集看来，富科是一位对人生有着深刻独特见解和感悟的作者。用最平淡无奇的文字，写出一般人内心盘亘很久但却说不出也写不出的话，就是好作者。
“太阳和死亡，皆不可凝视”。
“真爱犹如鬼魅”。
拉罗什富科的朝代跨越法王路易十三和十四，看前言介绍他的履历生平与投石党有关虽然我一点都想不起来历史上有无学过这个。
从箴言集看来，富科是一位对人生有着深刻独特见解和感悟的作者。用最平淡无奇的文字，写出一般人内心盘亘很久但却说不出也写不出的话，就是好作者。
“太阳和死亡，皆不可凝视”。
“真爱犹如鬼魅”。
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews