Let's get one thing straight: Essais d'un dictionnaire universel is not your typical book. You won't find a plot with heroes and villains in the usual sense. Instead, the "story" is the real-life drama behind its creation.

The Story

In the 1680s, Antoine Furetière, a priest, poet, and member of the French Academy, got fed up. The Academy's official dictionary project was moving at a glacial pace, focused on a pure, literary language. Furetière believed a dictionary should reflect how people actually spoke and worked. So, he went rogue. He started compiling his own "universal" dictionary, packed with tens of thousands of words from trades, sciences, and everyday life that the Academy ignored. When the Academy found out, they were furious. They accused him of stealing their work and violating their monopoly. The result? A spectacular fallout. Furetière was kicked out of the Academy, fought back with published pamphlets, and raced to publish his dictionary first. The book itself is the artifact of this battle—a snapshot of the French language and the defiant act of publishing it against all odds.

Why You Should Read It

This book fascinates me because it turns the idea of a dictionary on its head. It’s not a dry authority; it’s a rebellious act. Furetière was a collector of the real world—the words of blacksmiths, cooks, and sailors. Reading entries from his work (or about it) feels like listening in on 17th-century life. You see the tension between who gets to control language—an elite institution or a keen observer of the streets. Furetière wasn't a perfect hero, but his stubborn dedication is compelling. He wanted to save words from being forgotten, and in doing so, he saved a piece of history that formal records often miss.

Final Verdict

This is a niche read, but a rewarding one. It's perfect for history buffs who love deep dives into obscure corners of the past, or for word nerds who geek out on the stories behind reference books. If you enjoy tales of intellectual rebellion, bureaucratic drama, or the social history hidden in everyday things, you'll find Furetière's saga weirdly gripping. Just know you're signing up for a historical documentary, not a page-turning novel. The excitement is in understanding the fight, not following a fictional plot.