5 h 5 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What can a worldly priest teach you about doubt, pleasure, and being kind to human weakness?
In eighteenth-century France, Abbé Jérôme Coignard loves books, wine, and good company. Learned, greedy, and tender, he admits his weaknesses without shame. His young pupil, Jacques Tournebroche, records his opinions, inviting you into a conversation where a sharp mind meets a forgiving heart.
In The Opinions of Monsieur Jérôme Coignard, Anatole France explores religion, morals, learning, love, and society through the abbé’s talk. Powerful families, class divisions, and the habits of scholars come under his amused gaze. This is a novel of ideas rather than fast action, offering laughter without turning away from injustice.
What you’ll discover
- A skeptic with warmth Meet a priest whose doubts leave room for tenderness toward the weaknesses he shares.
- The pleasures of learning Follow Coignard among old books and ancient authors, enjoying knowledge without expecting final answers.
- Society under a gentle gaze See the church, powerful families, and class divisions through the abbé’s quietly questioning eyes.
- Wisdom without a sermon Explore morals and love through talk that invites reflection with a smile rather than a lecture.
- Pleasure joined with pity Consider a modest way of living: enjoy good things and be kind to those who suffer.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who like conversation, irony and French literature of ideas, and anyone who enjoys a skeptic with a warm heart. If you want a fast plot with strong action, you may find it slow.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A Priest Who Doubts and Forgives
- Learning Is Charming but Never Final
- Society Is Funny and Often Unjust
- Pleasure and Pity as a Way to Live
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The Opinions of Monsieur Jérôme Coignard
by Anatole France· 1893
A worldly priest questions religion, morals, and society through conversation.
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Language: English
“But here, as always, France, with the unerring taste of the really great writer, avoids cheap effect.”
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 4
A Priest Who Doubts and Forgives
The abbé is the centre of the book, and he is a deliberate contradiction. He is a priest who loves books, wine and good company, and who admits his own weakness without shame. France does not draw him as a hypocrite. Coignard is honest about what he is, and that honesty is what makes his opinions worth hearing.
His skepticism is never cold. He doubts big claims about heaven, virtue and human progress, yet he does not despise people. He sees that men are weak, vain and foolish, and he answers with pity instead of anger. A listener soon learns that his doubt and his kindness come from the same place.
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The author
Anatole France
1844–1924 · French novelist
Anatole France (1844–1924) was a French novelist, poet and essayist. He was born in Paris and died in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, France. His novels include The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard (1881), Thaïs (1890), The Red Lily (1894), Penguin Island (1908) and The Revolt of the Angels (1914).
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Questions about The Opinions of Monsieur Jérôme Coignard
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What is The Opinions of Monsieur Jérôme Coignard about?
It presents the conversations of Abbé Jérôme Coignard, a witty and skeptical priest in eighteenth century France, as written down by his pupil Jacques Tournebroche. They cover religion, morals, learning, love and the follies of society.
Who is Jacques Tournebroche?
Tournebroche is the young pupil and admirer of Abbé Coignard. He acts as the storyteller who records his master's talk. He also appears in the earlier book The Rôtisserie of Queen Pédauque.
Do I need to read The Rôtisserie of Queen Pédauque first?
It helps, because the two books share the abbé and his pupil, and the Opinions follows the earlier book. But the talk is the main attraction here, so the book can still be enjoyed on its own.
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