''Passionate Minds: The Great Enlightenment Love Affair'' is a 2006 book by author David Bodanis. Written in the form of a novel, the book deals with the life and love of

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

and his mistress, scientist Émilie du Châtelet. It also discusses the theories they propounded about life,

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and the nature of the

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. ...

. The story was written with the aid of historic letters of correspondence between Émilie and Voltaire, as well as between several other prominent figures of the Enlightenment.

Citation

The full bibliographic citation of the book in question is: *

Background

The novel is set in the period of development in

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

known as the

Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment; german: Aufklärung, "Enlightenment"; it, L'Illuminismo, "Enlightenment"; pl, Oświecenie, "Enlightenment"; pt, Iluminismo, "Enlightenment"; es, La Ilustración, "Enlightenment" was an intel ...

. At the time new scientific discoveries were being made, and people began to question society and the ruling classes. The story is set against a backdrop of social and political turmoil. The book takes place over a period of 43 years, from 1706 to 1749.

Themes

The book utilizes several themes to convey its story to the reader. Predominate themes include ''the rights of women.'' Though not actively campaigning for

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

, this book highlights the way in which woman were treated during the pre-Enlightenment period. This is emphasized by the manner in which du Châtelet's scientific breakthroughs and discoveries are passed off as unimportant, simply because of her gender.

Plot

The book starts with a "flash forward" in which Émilie du Châtelet is briefly introduced. It is June in the year 1749, and Émilie is in the final stages of her pregnancy. She is struggling to complete a book of her theories and calculations, and fears that she will not have enough time to finish the thesis. The book then jumps back in time to the year 1706, and to a younger Émilie. She has not yet met Voltaire, and is but ten years old. She lives with her parents, and is considered an unusual child because of her love of books and reading.

Citation

Background

Themes

Plot

References

Further reading