Occasion – The Princess of Cleves, Madame de Lafayette

Published anonymously in 1678, this novel is set in the Valois court. It is a historical novel, even if, in many respects (concern for verisimilitude, rigorous construction, introspection of characters), it inaugurated the tradition of the novel of analysis that would be claimed by a part of modernity. The Princess of Clèves also testifies to the important role played by women in literature and in the cultural life of the 17th century, marked by the Préciosité movement. A foundational novel, The Princess of Clèves is cited as one of the literary models that inspired Balzac, Raymond Radiguet, and even Jean Cocteau.