“Persian Letters” (1721) by Montesquieu is an elegant frivolous epistolary novel, a pearl of French prose of the first half of the 17th century. The messages of two Persian travelers Uzbek and Rick, who wander “through the barbaric lands of Europe,” are supplemented by letters from their correspondents who remained in their homeland. Descriptions of Parisian morals, cafes, fashions, theaters are replaced by a witty story about the order prevailing in the seraglio and palace intrigues. Readers are unlikely to be deceived by the seemingly naive tone of the narrative. The meeting of West and East on the pages of the novel became one of the major artistic discoveries that ensured the enduring value of this work by Montesquieu.