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Cover of The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette

The Princess of Cleves

  • 199 pages · about 3 hours
  • First published 1678
  • 417 editions
  • Free to read

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1 About this book

La Princesse de Clèves (French pronunciation:; "The Princess of Cleves") is a French novel which was published anonymously in March 1678. It was regarded by many as the beginning of the modern tradition of the psychological novel and a classic work. Its author is generally held to be Madame de La Fayette.

The action takes place between October 1558 and November 1559 primarily at the royal court of Henry II of France, as well as in a few other locations in France. The novel recreates that era with remarkable precision. Nearly every character—though not the heroine—is a historical figure. Events and intrigues unfold with great faithfulness to the documentary record, and the novel is generally regarded as one of the first examples of Western historical fiction.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Good for readers who want: a love story and a book they can read free online.

  • Relationships
  • United states, politics and government
  • Psychology
  • Romance literature
  • Romance
  • Romance, historical
  • Married women
  • Nobility

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3 About Madame de La Fayette

1634–1693

Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne, Comtesse de La Fayette (baptized 18 March 1634 – 25 May 1693), better known as Madame de La Fayette, was a French writer; she authored La Princesse de Clèves, France's first historical novel and one of the earliest novels in literature.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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