The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette
Set in the royal court of Henry II of France, the novel follows the life of a beautiful young woman, newly presented at court, who attracts the attention of many suitors, including the King's son. However, she is married off to a man she does not love, the Prince of Cleves. Despite her loyalty to her husband, she falls in love with the Duke of Nemours. The novel explores themes of duty, honor, and the conflict between passion and reason as the protagonist struggles with her feelings and the moral implications of her love for the Duke.
The 349th greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1678
- Nationality
- French
- Type
- Fiction
- Pages
- 200-300
- Words
- 70,000
- Original Language
- French
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This book is on the following lists:
- 3rd on The 25 Favorite Books of 100 Francophone Writers (Telerama)
- 56th on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- 62nd on Pour une Bibliothèque Idéale (Raymond Queneau)
- 77th on The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Culture Café)
- 411th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- 500 Great Books by Women (Book)