This is the first overall account of the reception accorded to French novels in 18th century Germany. As such, it casts new light on a little-known aspect of comparative literary history. The main focus is on licentious novels, as these play a dominant role in the French novel prior to 1800. In Germany they were soon considered to be paradigmatic for French literature in general. Not only significant novelists like Crèbillon fils and Laclos but also light fiction of this nature were the subject of controversy, and many of them were translated. They also had an influence on the German Originalroman. The volume rounds off with an annotated bibliography of the German translations.