I’ve wanted to read this for years solely because I bought it in French back in 2000. I didn’t even know what it was about, but I owned it in French. I read it in English though. It’s all about the corruption of the Catholic nunneries in the 1700s. Some of it is gruesome and tragic, other parts were very funny. Apparently the book started as a big joke but turned into a religious/political jab. It was interesting, though longwinded in places. The last third was my favorite part, where Diderot addresses the issue of lesbianism in the nunneries and the way strict religious dogma can really hurt people both physically and mentally.

Note: My translation is done by Leonard Tancock, who is my favorite French translator.