French Literature Reviews - 2026
Alain Corbin, A History of Joy
History, Politics and Society
“We have no history of joy,” lamented Lucien Febvre, the great historian of sensibilities, a century ago. Since then, countless works have attempted to write one. Yet while many focus on collective passions—the explosive joy surrounding sporting achievements or political events—very few examine the significance of private, intimate joy. And yet, it is this intimate joy that governs the greatest turning points in our lives, touching upon the most deeply human aspects of our existence: our values, our vulnerabilities, and our personal sensibilities.
From the hope of heavenly joy to the joy of living in the here and now, from the Bible to Zola by way of Chateaubriand, this new work by Alain Corbin invites us on an astonishing journey to the heart of an essential emotion, following the major success of his previous books, A History of Rest and A History of Silence.
The study of mentalities and the history of sensibilities emerged as a major field within modern historiography largely through the foundational work of the Annales school, which sought to map the emotional and perceptual horizons of past societies. Within this broader tradition, the historical investigation of human emotions has increasingly turned toward everyday experiences, sensory perception, and the evolution of private life across the modern era. Scholars in this domain examine how cultural frameworks shape the ways individuals perceive and express fundamental feelings.
Alain Corbin’s work follows this trajectory by examining private emotional states through literary sources ranging from biblical texts to authors like Chateaubriand and Zola. Readers interested in the cultural history of private emotions and the evolution of personal sensibilities may find this volume relevant.