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"Perhaps the most shocking book I've ever read is The Princess of Cleves, by Madame de La Fayette, in which the heroine refuses to marry the man she loves--he's a cad--and instead enters a convent." --B. D. McClay, The New York Times

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... Read Full Overview

Poised between the fading world of chivalric romance and a new psychological realism, Madame de Lafayette's novel of passion and self-deception marks a turning point in the history of the novel. When it first appeared - anonymously - in 1678 in the heyday of French classicism,... Read Full Overview

Poised between the fading world of chivalric romance and a new psychological realism, Madame de Lafayette's novel of passion and self-deception marks a turning point in the history of the novel. When it first appeared anonymously in 1678--in the heyday of French classicism--it... Read Full Overview

Marie-Madeleine de la Vergue, comtesse de LA FAYETTE (1634-1693). Membre du tr?s select cercle parisien qui incluait Mme de S?vign? et La Rochefoucauld, la comtesse publia trois romans. Le troisi?me desquels, ? La princesse de Cl?ves ? (1678), lui assura une place d?honneur dans... Read Full Overview

The text of this Norton Critical Edition is that of Thomas Sargent Perry's 1892 translation, indisputably the translation that has best served readers in English. Reprinted repeatedly over the last one hundred years, the Perry translation is a classic in its own right. After... Read Full Overview

The Princess of Cleves is a French novel published in 1678 that is regarded as one of the first psychological novels. The plot is set in the royal court of Henry II of France.

Perhaps one of the greatest works of French literature is Madame de Lafayette's The Princess of Cl ves, often described as the first of all "modern" novels. This classic translation, with an introduction, by the late English novelist and biographer Nancy Mitford, was first brought... Read Full Overview

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare's... Read Full Overview

First published anonymously in 1678, Madame de Lafayette is generally believed to be the author behind "The Princess of Cleves". Set between October 1558 and November 1559 at the royal court of Henry II of France, the novel is concerned with Mademoiselle de Chartres, a sheltered... Read Full Overview