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The Philosopher's Kiss

by Peter Prange
Atria: S. & S. Apr. 2011. c.432p. tr. from German by Steve Murray. ISBN 9781439167489. $25.99. F
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An international best seller, this historical novel recounts the creation of the acclaimed French Encyclopédie. Centering on the character of Sophie Volland (a historical figure about whom little is known), Prange explores the conflict between the pursuit of secular knowledge that characterized the Enlightenment and the autocratic power of the Catholic Church and the Bourbon dynasty. Sophie arrives in Paris in 1747 and soon finds employment at Café Procope, the meeting place for Parisian philosophers, and falls in love with the married writer Denis Diderot. Sophie's involvement with Diderot soon leads to her participation in the creation of his great work. Numerous real-life characters, including Madame de Pompadour, fill the pages as the author charts the birth of the Encyclopédie and Sophie's journey from orphaned child to old woman.
VERDICT While the historical information is unobtrusive and enhances the story, the two-dimensional characters and unbelievable coincidences detract. Only devoted fans of romantic historical fiction and Francophiles will find this title of interest.
Reviewed by Carly Thompson, Chicago Ridge P.L. , Feb 01, 2011
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