The Princesse De Cleves

Nov 14, 2025 3:23 AM

Author:Madame Lafayette,Robin Buss

Set towards the end of the reign of Henry II of France, The Princesse de Clèves (1678) tells of the unspoken, unrequited love between the fair, noble Mme de Clèves, 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 Clèves 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 Clèves is an exquisite and profound analysis of the human heart, and a moving depiction of the inseparability of love and anguish.

Reviews

A brilliant, sometimes terrible novel about the generation war within a family, as witty and cool as it is heart-rending

—— Auberon Waugh , Daily Mail

Painful...gripping...her "private" story reaches far beyond the merely personal

—— Observer

A great, heaving countryside of a book...consistently funny...fluent and elusive, while retaining just the right hint of poison

—— Telegraph

Stephenson mixes a library’s worth of ideas with compulsive derring-do … its scope and inventiveness become addictive.

—— Time Out

A breathless ride…the writing gives an immersive sense of time and place

—— Face

A brilliant, bulging historical novel ... Thrillingly accomplished ... Magnificent ... one finishes it already eager to begin the sequel

—— Guardian

His style is spare, that's what is so beautiful. His novels are genuine romans philosophies - novels illustrating ideas

—— Piers Paul Read

In a class by himself...the ultimate chronicler of twentieth-century man’s consciousness and anxiety

—— William Golding

Previous Article：Selected Works Next Article：Sylvia's Lovers

Comments

Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.