Manon Lescaut

Manon Lescaut is a deceptive novel in multiple ways. It could be easily labeled as a classic, picturesque short tale of a doomed love affair between a noble young man, Chevalier des Grieux, and a beautiful maiden from a lower breed, set in the Paris of The Régence, a convulsive era where class struct Leggi tutto

This is a novel that puts me in the not completely unfamiliar position of attempting to balance my extreme distaste for the narrator - and even for his story - against my admiration for the way the story is told. Let's get the aggravations out of the way: objections so strong, they caused me to put

IntroductionNote on the TextNote on the IllustrationsSelect BibliographyA Chronology of the Abbé Prévost --Manon Lescaut Explanatory Notes

Montaigne said the more things change the more things stay the same and this short novel published in 1731 proves that the madness that comes along with first love/infatuation is common to teenagers of whatever era. Chevalier des Grieux is the 18 year old son of a wealthy influential father sees 15 y Leggi tutto

Manon Lescaut is a slut. A priestess of the highest order: and, made to order. Its hard to know if she is real, or the uber male fantasy wet dream, she juxtastruts about so: think John Cage 4.33. Its the Chevalier whose lament we witness. Not in the ordinary-esque tableau. Which latter didacts a scen Leggi tutto

We were just going to get into bed when he opened the door. 'Oh God!' I said to Manon, 'it's old G.M!' I leaped for my sword but, as ill-luck would have it, it was tangled with my belt. The introduction to my Penguin edition discusses this in terms of tragic grandeur - well, call me a Philistine but Leggi tutto

"Afirmen que las delicias del amor son pasajeras, que están prohibidas, que serán seguidas de penas eternas y que, cuanto más dulces y sabrosas sean, mayor será la magnanimidad del Cielo al recompensar tan gran sacrificio; pero confiesen que con corazones como los nuestros aquí abajo constituyen la Leggi tutto

I wrongly thought this was a classic gay romance due to not being specific on the blurb I read for it on the book app I'm using. It wasn't. But still a good story, not a favorite though.

<< Όμως οι άνθρωποι με χαρακτήρα μπορούν να συγκλονίζονται με χίλιους διαφορετικούς τρόπους. Είναι σα να διαθέτουν πάνω από πέντε αισθήσεις και να μπορούν να συλλαμβάνουν ιδέες και ερεθίσματα που ξεπερνούν τα κανονικά όρια της φύσης. Και επειδή έχουν συναίσθηση του μεγαλείου που τους ανυψώνει πάνω α Leggi tutto

Des Grieux is a nobleman who falls in love with the irresistible Manon Lescaut, a woman from the lower classes. They run away together and during the course of their relationship, Manon betrays des Grieux three times. He takes her back every time after experiencing some angsty thoughts, such as “But Leggi tutto