Histoire de La Duchesse de C***', by Stephanie de Genlis
Histoire de La Duchesse de C***', by Stephanie de Genlis

Author: Stéphanie Félicité comtesse de Genlis

Publisher: MHRA

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 0947623957

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A 100-page Gothic tale embedded in Genlis's 1782 novel 'Adèle et Théodore', the 'Histoire de la duchesse de C***' tells the story of an Italian duchess secretly imprisoned by her husband for nine years in a dungeon under his palace after he drugs her, simulates her death, and buries a waxen figure in her place. In a footnote to the 1804 edition of the novel, Genlis explains that the story is based on the experiences of the Italian Duchess of Cerifalco, whom Genlis met in Rome in 1776. The duchess's tale quickly became so popular that Genlis published it in a separate edition in 1783; as Genlis's fame as a writer and educator spread, both the novella and the novel from which it was drawn were reprinted numerous times and published in translation in England where they enjoyed considerable success as well. The 'Histoire de la Duchesse de C***' is a masterful blend of the sentimental and the Gothic genres and, as such, provides students with an excellent introduction to both literary traditions. Genlis's subtle analysis of the power relations between husband and wife shows keen psychological insight and constitutes the most compelling aspect of the duchess's story. This critical edition is accompanied by an introduction to the text and author, a selected bibliography, and an original modern English translation of the text. Mary S. Trouille is Professor of French at Illinois State University.

The Betrayal of the Duchess
The Betrayal of the Duchess

Author: Maurice Samuels

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2020-04-14

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 1541645464

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Fighting to reclaim the French crown for the Bourbons, the duchesse de Berry faces betrayal at the hands of one of her closest advisors in this dramatic history of power and revolution. The year was 1832, a cholera pandemic raged, and the French royal family was in exile, driven out by yet another revolution. From a drafty Scottish castle, the duchesse de Berry -- the mother of the eleven-year-old heir to the throne -- hatched a plot to restore the Bourbon dynasty. For months, she commanded a guerilla army and evaded capture by disguising herself as a man. But soon she was betrayed by her trusted advisor, Simon Deutz, the son of France's Chief Rabbi. The betrayal became a cause célèbre for Bourbon loyalists and ignited a firestorm of hate against France's Jews. By blaming an entire people for the actions of a single man, the duchess's supporters set the terms for the century of antisemitism that followed. Brimming with intrigue and lush detail, The Betrayal of the Duchess is the riveting story of a high-spirited woman, the charming but volatile young man who double-crossed her, and the birth of one of the modern world's most deadly forms of hatred. !--EndFragment--

Against Marriage
Against Marriage

Author: Anne-Marie-Louise d'Orléans, Duchesse de Montpensier

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2007-11-01

Total Pages: 118

ISBN-13: 0226534936

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In seventeenth-century France, aristocratic women were valued by their families as commodities to be married off in exchange for money, social advantage, or military alliance. Once married, they became legally subservient to their husbands. The duchesse de Montpensier—a first cousin of Louis XIV—was one of very few exceptions, thanks to the vast wealth she inherited from her mother, who died shortly after Montpensier was born. She was also one of the few politically powerful women in France at the time to have been an accomplished writer. In the daring letters presented in this bilingual edition, Montpensier condemns the alliance system of marriage, proposing instead to found a republic that she would govern, "a corner of the world in which . . . women are their own mistresses," and where marriage and even courtship would be outlawed. Her pastoral utopia would provide medical care and vocational training for the poor, and all the homes would have libraries and studies, so that each woman would have a "room of her own" in which to write books. Joan DeJean's lively introduction and accessible translation of Montpensier's letters—four previously unpublished—allow us unprecedented access to the courageous voice of this extraordinary woman.