The Amours of Zeokinizul, King of the Kofirans (eBook)

Claude-Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, often known simply as Crébillon fils (1707-1777), was a significant figure in French literature during the Enlightenment. As the son of the tragic poet Claude-Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon (Crébillon père), he inherited a robust literary tradition but carved a niche for himself with his licentious novels, often overshadowed by the more somber tones of his father's dramatic oeuvre. Noted for his witty, salacious, and oftentimes satirical works, Crébillon fils captured the libertine spirit of his era, as evidenced by his novel 'The Amours of Zeokinizul, King of the Kofirans' which is a satirical allegory that pokes fun at the European customs and politics of his time through the lens of an exotic and fictional Eastern kingdom. Crébillon fils's literary style reflects the philosophical and cultural libertinage of the 18th century, a tendency that flirted with the boundaries of decorum and morality but also critiqued societal norms and hypocrisy. His contribution to the genre of the novel and to the thematic exploration of sensuality and power relations was admired by his contemporaries and continues to be of academic interest in the field of French literature and Enlightenment studies.