Revue semestrielle de linguistique et littératures romanes

Écho des études romanes 2005, 1(2):49-61 | DOI: 10.32725/eer.2005.029

Le modèle pris à rebours? Quelques remarques sur La princesse de Clèves de Mme de Lafayette et sur Le comte d’Amboise de Catherine BernardFrench

Monika KULESZA
Université de Varsovie

The model taken in reverse? Some remarks on La princesse de Clèves by Mme de Lafayette and Le comte d'Amboise by Catherine Bernard

La Princesse de Clèves by Mme de Lafayette was published in 1678 and was an immediate success. Even today it is believed to be the first modern French novel. From the very beginning the work had many imitators with Catherine Bernard, considered the most talented follower, with her pessimistic vision of love and human behaviour. Le Comte d'Amboise (1688) is believed to be a novel inspired by La Princesse de Clèves. Similarities between the two works are many and significant, with the main theme of both works being practically identical and leading to a very similar conclusion ; after her husband had passed away the main heroine refused to marry the man she loved and separated herself from the surrounding world. However, conclusions of both novels have a different significance. Similarly, in case of heroes, the sequence and significance of events as well as the structure of the both works - similarities are only superficial.
In my article, I have analysed individual aspects of both works, where human emotions and psyche are presented differently. The image of a man presented by Catherine Bernard is more pessimistic and gloomy then that presented by Mme de Lafayette.

Keywords: La Princesse de Clèves; Mme de Lafayette; Le Comte d'Amboise; Catherine Bernard; novel; 17th century

Published: December 11, 2005  Show citation

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KULESZA, M. (2005). Le modèle pris à rebours? Quelques remarques sur La princesse de Clèves de Mme de Lafayette et sur Le comte d’Amboise de Catherine Bernard. Écho des études romanes, 1(2), 49-61. doi: 10.32725/eer.2005.029
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