Jacques the Fatalist and His Master by Denis Diderot

The main subject of the book is the relationship between the valet Jacques and his master (who is never named). The two are traveling to a destination the narrator leaves insistently vague, and to dispel the boredom of the trip Jacques is compelled by his master to recount the story of his loves. However, Jacques's story is continuously interrupted by other characters and various comic mishaps. Other characters in the book tell stories as well, and they, too, are continuously interrupted. There is even a "reader" character who periodically interrupts the narrator with questions, objections, and demands for more information or detail. The tales told are usually humorous, with romance or sex as their subject matter, and feature complex characters indulging in deception.

The 299th greatest fiction book of all time


This book is on the following lists:

  1. - Top 100 Works in World Literature (Norwegian Book Clubs, with the Norwegian Nobel Institute)
  2. - ZEIT-Bibliothek der 100 Bücher (Die Zeit)
  3. - 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)

Buy This Book

Name Binding Sales Rank Lowest New Lowest Used Published
Jacques the Fatalist and His Master (Penguin Classics) Jacques the Fatalist and His Master Paperback 13792289 $20.36 1986
Jacques, the fatalist, and his master Paperback 1450361 $2.99
Jacques the Fatalist: Jacques the Fatalist and His Master Hardcover 7367117 $94.90
Jacques the Fatalist and His Master Paperback 2447559 $16.93 $2.80 1979
Jacques the Fatalist: And His Master (Classics) Kindle Edition 945731 $10.99 2006
Jacques the Fatalist and His Master (Penguin Classics) Paperback 1128690 $13.23 $2.55 1986