description: 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 aroused fierce controversy among critics and readers, in particular for the extraordinary confession which forms the climax of the story.
language: English
title: The Princess of Cleves
titlecomplete: The Princess of Cleves
characters: Catherine de Medici, Jacques de Savoie, duke of Nemours, Henri II of France, The Princess of Clèves, Mary, Queen of Scots
genres: Classics, France, Historical, School, Romance, Historical Fiction, 17th Century, Literature, French Literature, Fiction
ratings_count: 15448
publisher: Signet Classics