Sevigne: Selected Letters

by Marie de Rabutin-Chantal de Sévigné

Book Overview

One of the world's greatest correspondents, Madame de S vign (1626-96) paints an extraordinarily vivid picture of France at the time of Louis XIV, in eloquent letters written throughout her life to family and friends. A significant figure in French society and literary circles, whose close friends included Madame de La Fayette and La Rochefoucauld, she reflected on both significant historical events and personal issues, and in this selection of the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 014044405X
• ISBN13: 9780140444056
• Release Date: December 1982
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A Must for French History Buffs

Thank God for Madame de Sevigne! Her letters are sublime! Her voluminous correspondence provides exquisit insight to life in the court of Louis XIV, complete with hilarious asides and fastidious detail. To view history from her perspective is incredibly entertaining. The only flaw here - Tancock's collection of Sevigne's letters is incomplete, and we are at his mercy regarding content. He admits that selecting which of Madame's 1400+ extant letters would appear in his book was extremely difficult, however I would have prefered to have been able to make those editing decisions myself. I will next be looking for a complete collection of Madame's letters to sift through.

Window to a Lost World

The letters of the divine Marie have been celebrated for more than three centuries, from her time to ours. It is impossible not to be drawn in to the lost world of le Roi Soleil when you have such a charming companion as your guide. There is an immediacy and sensitivity to her writing that establishes a bond with the reader as palpable today as it was in the 17th century. The Marquise knew everyone and saw practically everything of note in the France of her time, or knew somebody who had seen it. She was a fixture at court, the companion of la Rochefoucauld and Madame La Fayette, saw the plays of Racine and Corneille, and heard the music of Lully. You can read about the trial of Foucquet, the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and witness the terrible death of the odious Marquise de Brinvilliers. This Penguin Classics edition by the great Leonard Tancock features wonderful translations but could have done with a few more explanatory notes. And it should have been longer!

Letters from a fascinating woman

One of the great defining moments of 17th century French literature was when Madame de Sevigne's daughter left Paris with her new husband for a life in the provinces. Always the doting mother, Madame de Sevigne began one of the great correspondences in history. The de Sevigne's were important enough to be close to the center of events during the reign of Louis XIV. This status allowed Madame de Sevigne to provide an invaluable record of the days events. But this is not the only reason to read these fascinating letters. Madame de Sevigne was an astute observer of the contemporary scene. She was also great friends with many of the leading cultural figures. These letters show not only the political machinations (Madame de Seigne was once courted by Louis XIV's finance minister Fouquet), but the very vibrant literary and theatrical scene. Anyone wishing to know what day-to-day life was like for the well-to-do in 17th century France should look no further than this book.