The film without the cuts. And the book itself.
Every glance can become evidence.
The Princess of Cleves
A young woman surrounded by admiration learns to fear the movement of her own heart.
The French Royal Court
A crowded court where admiration, gossip, and ambition move through the same glittering rooms.
A king's long devotion burns so fiercely it turns courtly splendor into danger.
Read →Henry's Unfading Passion
Grandeur and gallantry never appeared with more lustre in France, than in the last years of Henry the Second's reign. This Prince was amorous and handsome, and though his passion for Diana of Poitiers Duchess of Valentinois, was of above twenty years standing, it was not the less violent, nor did he give less distinguishing proofs of it.
Before we meet a single character with a story, we are told the court is at its most dazzling and, in the same breath, that the King himself is quietly ruled by an old attachment. Henry II is powerful, handsome, adored, and yet his heart has been fixed for above twenty years on Diana of Poitiers, a devotion that time has not cooled. La Fayette is quietly warning us how this world works: even the man at the top is governed by a love he cannot shake, and the glamour on the surface sits on top of a long, private constancy.
The Court of Splendor
At the dazzling, dangerous court of Henri II, a beautiful heiress is schooled by her mother to distrust love as a snare.
The Princess's Portrait
He cannot have her, so he takes her painted face while she watches in silence.
Prince of Cleves
An honorable husband asks for love and receives only esteem.
The Princess of Cleves
The cast, locations, objects of note, core concepts, and selected passages in the Author’s Pen - at your own pace.
The Princess of Cleves World, as it plays on your phone
- Meet the people. 22 characters, each with a portrait, who they are and what they want.
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- Follow the plot. The turns of the story, in order, so you always know where you are.
- Taste the original. 40 key passages in Madame de La Fayette’s own words, each with a short reading of what it is doing.
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