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A review by house_of_hannah
The Princesse de Clèves by Madame de La Fayette, Terence Cave
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I read this for a local book club, and if it wasn't for that I probably would have DNFed this. Hey, at least I can say I've read the first French novel, and it's definitely the oldest book I've ever read !
Essentially this is about a woman who is emotionally manipulated by two men, with one of them being her husband. The other turns into a super stalker, and cannot take no for an answer. As every character is in the royal court they are all insufferable people who act like children.
If you're into royal families, then you might enjoy this as there is an ungodly amount of name dropping, arranged marriages, and politics. We finally get some plot going around the 30-40% mark, but it quickly flip flops back to royal affairs.
It's safe to say that this just wasn't for me. This felt like manipulation, not romance, and I think it would be justified to call this one a tragedy.
Essentially this is about a woman who is emotionally manipulated by two men, with one of them being her husband. The other turns into a super stalker, and cannot take no for an answer. As every character is in the royal court they are all insufferable people who act like children.
If you're into royal families, then you might enjoy this as there is an ungodly amount of name dropping, arranged marriages, and politics. We finally get some plot going around the 30-40% mark, but it quickly flip flops back to royal affairs.
It's safe to say that this just wasn't for me. This felt like manipulation, not romance, and I think it would be justified to call this one a tragedy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Stalking
Minor: Death