Paul and Virginia
by Bernardin de Saint-Pierre 1737–1814
The book, and the century it came out of.
Two children grow up together on the Île de France, in a valley with their mothers and no fathers, knowing nothing of money, rank or Europe — until Virginia is summoned to France by a rich aunt. Bernardin de Saint-Pierre was an engineer and naturalist who spent three years on the island; his 1788 romance made half of Europe weep, put the tropics into French literature, and the shipwreck at the end became one of the most illustrated scenes of the century. Illustrated with 56 full-page plates — paintings by Vernet and Pillement among them.
In introducing to the Public the present edition of this well known and affecting Tale,—the chef d’œuvre[1] of its gifted author, the Publishers take occasion to say, that it affords them no little gratification, to apprise the numerous admirers of “Paul and Virginia,” that the entire work of St. Pierre is now…
Paul and Virginia, by Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, complete and unabridged. Spelling and punctuation follow present-day American usage; the sentences, the paragraphs and the voice are the author’s, word for word.
It was written in another era and may carry attitudes a reader today will find dated. They are kept for the sake of the work and do not reflect the views of this house.
- Series
- Love & Society
- Format
- Ebook
- Extent
- about 144 pages
- Reading time
- about 3 hours
- Illustrations
- Full-page plates, credited
- Text
- Complete, unabridged
- Language
- en
- This edition
- 2026
- ISBN
- 9785486209796
56 paintings are bound into this edition
Six of them are shown here, taken from the volume itself. Each is reproduced full page and named with its painter and year.
A page from this edition
Not a mock-up: this page is taken from the finished volume. The ornament above the chapter belongs to its shelf and to no other, the opening letter is set as a drop capital, and the plate below carries the name of the painter and the year.
Both photographed from the finished volume.
Paul and Virginia, issued in this edition by Aeneas Press in 2026 on the Love & Society shelf. Newly set, with the ornament of its series above each chapter and a drop capital on the opening page. Illustrated with full-page plates, each named with its painter.
Published as an ebook and not issued in print by this house; it carries one ISBN, 9785486209796, and is supplied worldwide. This edition — its setting, its ornament, its cover art, and the selection and attribution of its plates — © 2026 Aeneas Press.
Questions readers ask
- Is this the whole of Paul and Virginia?
- Yes — complete and unabridged. Nothing is cut, condensed or paraphrased. This is the book, not a summary of it.
- What exactly did you change?
- The spelling and the punctuation follow present-day American usage. Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's sentences are untouched — same words, same order, same rhythm.
- Are the pictures really in the book?
- Yes. The edition carries full-page plates bound into the text, each one named with its painter and the year it was made. Six of them are shown on this page.
- How long is it?
- About 144 pages, which is roughly about 3 hours of reading.
- What do I actually get?
- An illustrated ebook with its own ISBN, sold worldwide. One file, yours to keep, readable on any device.
