Hopefully it was not the cause of too much trouble, since he did not varnish his version of the truth about others any more than himself. His confessions probably offered more honesty than contemporary readers bargained for, by not shying away from topics that lay outside the bounds of polite society when it was published four years after his death. Rousseau's excruciating effort to tell all dated back to his first writings in the 1750s when he challenged the popular view of progress and set the pattern for living a life which would reflect the beliefs he professed. The first part covers from childhood to when he is a young man finding independence, and sets the template for future memoirs by other authors by its ascribing importance to influences and 'dishing the dirt' on every aspect of his life. Rousseau wrote his memoirs in two portions, two years apart, though they are now normally published together.
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