Set towards the end of the reign of Henry II of France, The Princesse de Cleves (1678) tells of the unspoken, unrequited love between the fair, noble Mme de Cleves, who is married to a loyal and faithful man, and the Duc de Nemours, a handsome man most female courtiers find irresistible. Warned by her mother against admitting her passion, Mme de Cleves hides her feelings from her fellow courtiers, until she finally confesses to her husband an act that brings tragic consequences for all. Described as France's first modern novel, The Princesse de Cleves is an exquisite and profound analysis of the human heart, and a moving depiction of the inseparability of love and anguish.
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About the Author
Marie-Madeleine Pioche de la Vergne was born in Paris in 1634. in 1656 she married the Comte de Lafayette, had two sons, and lived on his country estate. She then returned to Paris, and the couple remained largely separate from then on. She started a literary salon with her close friends Madame de Sevigne and the Duc de la Rochefoucauld. She also mixed in court circles and wrote a biography of her friend Henriette, wife of the Duc d'Orleans, after her death. She is mostly remembered for her novels. She died in 1693. Robin Buss is a writer and translator who works for the Independent on Sunday and as television critic for the Times Literary Supplement. He has published on Vigny and Coteau and written three books on European cinema.
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At no time in France were splendour and refinement so brilliantly displayed as in the last years of the reign of Henri II.1 Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
At no time in France were splendour and refinement so brilliantly displayed as in the last years of the reign of Henri II.1 Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
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By Essay
Format:Paperback
The tale of a fictional woman living at the French Court during the 17th century reign of Henry II. It is a very slow read at first, but then the pace picks up. Many real historical figures make an appearance, either in person or in gossip. A nice historical romance thus far, with plenty of detailed court intrigues. While the main character (and her mother) are fictional, the rest of the characters are not (including the Prince of Cleves himself, who never married in real life). Keeping in mind the period this was written, it's quite good. But the constant referring to characters by titles/surnames rather than given names got very old, and I found Madame de Cleves too hypocritical to like the character.
By m-starr
Format:Paperback
I read this book because John Updike said it was one of the world's greatest novels of romance -- but I should have known from his other choices (Madame Bovary and The Scarlett Letter, among others) that he likes his romance bleak! The Princess of Cleves is certainly of considerable scholarly interest, being as it is a very early novel, and delving interestingly into the predicament of a woman trying to behave morally despite the frivolity, intrigue and pleasure-seeking of the 17th century French court. But the story is difficult and sad: young woman marries dutifully, then falls in love with a handsome duke, he feels similarly and pursues her passionately, but she struggles against her feelings, which wrecks havoc on everyone. The predicament is closely linked to the context and doesn't feel timeless or grand in theme; rather, the triviality of it stokes up thoughts of what caused the French revolution. Interested readers may prefer the Norton critical edition, which offers a number of essays as well as the text.
Format:Paperback
I agree with most of what the previous reviewer said. This short novel is required reading for anyone studying French literature, women's literature in particular. However, the first chapter is mostly devoted to long lists of names and descriptions of various people, some of whom are important to the story and others who are not. This technique tends to make all the characters run together. It is very difficult to remember all of the characters, who they are related to and/or allied with, etc. Some sort of "family tree" would have been nice. Also, I thought the ending (which I will not give away) was a little contrite and not really up to the standard of the rest of the book. This translation is very readable, but reading it in the orginal language is preferable. This is not "beach" reading, but if you are deeply interested in French literature and/or European history, this story may prove rewarding.
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