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Mademoiselle de Maupin
Mademoiselle de Maupin
Nov 25, 2025 12:13 AM

Author:Theophile Gautier,Helen Constantine,Patricia Duncker,Helen Constantine

Mademoiselle de Maupin

Chevalier d'Albert fantasizes about his ideal lover, yet every woman he meets falls short of his exacting standards of female perfection. Embarking on an affair with the lovely Rosette to ease his boredom, he is thrown into tumultuous confusion when she receives a dashing young visitor. Exquisitely handsome, Théodore inspires passions d'Albert never believed he could feel for a man - and Rosette also seems to be in thrall to the charms of her guest. Does this bafflingly alluring person have a secret to hide? Subversive and seductive, Mademoiselle de Maupin (1835) draws readers into the bedrooms and boudoirs of a French château in a compelling exploration of desire and sexual intrigue.

Reviews

A charming, funny tale

—— Daily Mail

A tale full of mishaps and coincidences which will appeal to a wide range of independent readers. The line drawings extend the humorous text beautifully

—— The School Librarian

It's a gorgeous story and not only has a terrific message, but the message is so coated with delicious sugar that any child would enjoy it. I must say I cried at the end because I was so moved . . . He is a terrific writer and I thought the drawings were absolutely marvellous

—— Jilly Cooper

A hilarious new book for young readers by the ever-popular Dick King-Smith

—— Books for Children

Dick King-Smith creates a complete world of humans and animals, and their complex relationships. There is humour and sadness. There is plenty of action. Jocelyn Wild's scribbly line drawings add to the general feeling of pace within the book. An entrancing and captivating read for younger children. The prolific author has done it again... Written a winner!

—— Junior Bookshelf

'Deft, poignant yet savage ... Cadwalladr has real talent'

—— Independent on Sunday

'A real delight to read...such a delicacy of touch...very funny...hugely enjoyable'

—— Margaret Forster

'Very funny - and clever'

—— Daily Mirror

'Be careful of this book ... it's reading-on-the-escalator stuff' 

—— Time Out

'An incisive tale of real feeling'

—— Guardian

'Intelligent themes deftly delivered; bound to be a hit'

—— Elle magazine

'I'd have been proud to have written this book as it manages loads of things most writers want to achieve - a clever, funny, sad story with a big heart and an even bigger brain' Jenny Eclair

—— Jenny Eclair, Glasgow Herald

From debates over the mysteries of genetics to footnotes on popular culture, Cadwalladr wears her intelligence so lightly, and with a tone so natural, it's hard to believe this is her first novel

—— Arts Telegraph

Cadwalladr also captures the desperation at the heart of most good comedy. She maintains the tragicomic balance to the end and has the confidence to chose the right, realistic ending over the wrong, romantic one

—— The Observer/Review

A hilariously funny and moving chronical of three generations of the Monroe family told through the eyes of Rebecca in the 1970s. It is not just a habit of quoting proverbs and a recipe for sherry trifle that have passed down the maternal line. There's a habit of broken marriages, dubiously fathered children and untimely deaths.

—— Elite

Rebecca Monroe is really stumped when it comes to her family's behaviour. Why, on the day Charles and Camilla got married, did her mum lock herself in the loo and refuse to come out? Was it due to the collapse of her chocolate cake, or because Rebecca's grandmother ended up marrying her first cousin?

Pondering what it is that makes her clan click, Rebecca is determined to discover whether it is genes or fate that affects the different generations.

A fun little romp about the joys of family and the genes we inherit.

—— OK Met Stars

Touching and surprising...A moving account of the personal and social pressures that shape our childhood experiences and resonate throughout out lives

—— The Sunday Times

This exciting first novel by a talented writer is a moving exploration of family life in the twenty-first century...You won't want to put this book down

—— My Weekly

Hilariously funny and moving chronicle of three generations

—— Peterborough Evening News
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