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Isabelle de Montolieu

1751 – 1832

Swiss novelist and translator

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About Isabelle de Montolieu

Lived 1751 – 1832 (aged 81). Isabelle de Montolieu was a Swiss novelist, translator and writer.

Isabelle de Montolieu (1751–1832) was a Swiss novelist and translator. She wrote in and translated to the French language. Montolieu penned a few original novels and over 100 volumes of translations. She wrote the first French translation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility (Raison et Sensibilité, ou Les Deux Manières d'Aimer) and Persuasion (La Famille Elliot, ou L'Ancienne Inclination).

One of her translations to French, Johann David Wyss's German-language The Swiss Family Robinson (Le Robinson suisse, ou, Journal d'un père de famille, naufragé avec ses enfans), was adapted and expanded by her with original episodes more than once. Montolieu's French version is the literal source of still frequently reprinted English translations; for example William H. G. Kingston's 1879 version, one of the most popular in English over the years, is actually a translation of Montolieu's French adaptation.

Her first novel, Caroline de Lichtfield, ou Mémoires d'une Famille Prussienne, was an influential instant best-seller in the 1780s and stayed in print until the mid-19th century.

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Important facts

People in Isabelle de Montolieu's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

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Frequently asked questions

Who was Isabelle de Montolieu?

Swiss novelist and translator (1751–1832)

When was Isabelle de Montolieu born?

Isabelle de Montolieu was born on 7 May 1751 in Lausanne.

When did Isabelle de Montolieu die?

Isabelle de Montolieu died on 29 December 1832 in Lausanne.

What was Isabelle de Montolieu's occupation?

Isabelle de Montolieu was a novelist, translator and writer.

What nationality was Isabelle de Montolieu?

Isabelle de Montolieu was Swiss.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Isabelle de Montolieu

· Wikidata: Q3155078

· DBpedia: Isabelle de Montolieu

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Isabelle de Montolieu. https://biography.guide/isabelle-de-montolieu/

MLA: "Isabelle de Montolieu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/isabelle-de-montolieu/.

Chicago: "Isabelle de Montolieu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/isabelle-de-montolieu/.

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