At the moment when I was sealing my vows with a gentle kiss, to which Atala at this time made but a feeble resistance, a rapid stream of lightning, followed by a tremendous clap of thunder, filled all the forest with sulphur and light, and shivered a tree at our feet. We fled, trembling with fright. But oh, wonderful!—in the calm which succeeded this shock, we head the sound of a bell!We both stood speechless and listened to this noise, so extraordinary in such a wilderness...—from AtalaNow considered the father of French literary Romanticism, François-René Chateaubriand was still unknown as an author when he published Atala in 1801, but the sensation it caused skyrocketed him to fame.The story of doomed Indian lovers in 17th-century America, where Catholicism was taking hold and beginning to impassion natives, it is a celebration of nature and innocence, romance and religious feeling.Hard to find in print, this classic of the fiction of early America is essential reading for anyone seeking a deeper appreciation of 19th-century literature.French writer, diplomat, and politician FRANÇOIS-RENÉ, VICOMTE DE CHATEAUBRIAND (1768–1848) is also the author of René (1802) and Les Martyrs (1809), among other works. A passionate epicure, he lent his name to the cut of beef tenderloin now known as Chateaubriand.