"La Religieuse" is a novel by Diderot, written during the French Enlightenment and posthumously published in 1792. The story follows Suzanne, a 16 year old girl forced into a convent by her parents, as she battles with the constraints of 18th century laws and conventions. Diderot uses the tale to criticize the church and what he considered to be intolerable and sexually repressive conditions in convents, in a time when the French government enforced religious vows.
ISBN 978-1-58977-066-9
Molière & Co. #14