belles-lettres
English meaning: Fine literature / Literary writing as art
French Definition
(Français)Un terme français désignant la littérature appréciée pour ses qualités esthétiques — l'art d'écrire avec beauté et grâce.
English Definition
A French term for literature valued for its aesthetic qualities — the art of writing beautifully and gracefully — as opposed to purely informational or technical writing. France's literary tradition of belles-lettres includes Montaigne's essays, Pascal's Pensées, Voltaire's philosophical tales, and Proust's 'In Search of Lost Time,' one of the longest novels in any language.
Example
“Proust et Flaubert sont les maîtres incontestés des belles-lettres françaises.”
In English: “Proust and Flaubert are the undisputed masters of French fine literature.”
Synonyms
- littérature
- prose d'art
Antonyms / Opposites
- littérature utilitaire
- écriture technique
Literary Heritage
“Aujourd'hui, maman est morte. Ou peut-être hier, je ne sais pas.”
“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- Français
- French
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Romance
- Speakers
- 310M