The Princess of Cleves

Madame de La Fayette's "The Princess of Cleves" is a seminal work in the canon of French literature, often heralded as one of the first psychological novels. Set in the opulent yet politically fraught milieu of the 16th-century French court, the narrative explores the inner turmoil of its eponymous heroine, who grapples with the conflict between her passion for the Duke of Nemours and her loyalty ...