Le Montespan

Set during reign of Louis XIV, the King of Excess: his taste for luxury & constant war cause destitution for 98% of the population of that time, who are burdened with crushing taxes, conscription & famine. Makes the French Revolution seem all but inevitable. The story told here, of the Marquis de Montespan's undying, while largely unrequited, love for his wife, known as Mme de Montespan, the long-term favorite of Louis XIV, by whom he had 7 children, is historically accurate as far as its externalities are concerned. The interior life of the marquis is, of course, a product of the author's imagination. Alone among husbands whose wives are chosen as royal mistresses, the Marquis de Montespan remains intransigently unaccepting of his show more wife's status as the King's Favorite. He publicly announces himself as a cuckold by ornamenting his carriage with antlers, for example. He sinks further & further into financial ruin, both in his initial efforts to win military honors & thus gain the King's approval & largesse so as to support his wife in the luxurious style that she "deserves" or at least desires, & in his later attempts to retrieve or win back his purloined wife. The one aspect of the marquis' trajectory that I found interesting is his evolution from class snob (at the beginning, he believes in the King's divine rights)to almost class equal to his three domestic servants: the cook, her daughter & the concierge. show less

quattro stelle da metà libro in poi: onesto racconto che stenta a lievitare, ma poi guadagna in narrazione e "statura".
In questo nostro mondo di marionette prone, nel quale la maggior parte di noi "si adegua", un fantasma del passato ci ricorda la tenacia salvifica dell'amore vero, e l'importanza, VERSO SE STESSI, della coerenza e della dignità personale, anche a costo del ridicolo nel giudizio del mondo.
Non so se il vero signor di Montespan sia ritratto fedelmente in questo romanzo, ma fa piacere pensare che possa essere così.
PS. Interessanti le note spicciole sulla vita quotidiana nel XVII secolo e il "cameo" del signor de Teulé

Style parfois très cru (ce que je n'apprécie guère), mais l'auteur maîtrise parfaitement son sujet et sait nous faire aimer ce personnage méconnu de l'histoire.

Based on the true story of the husband of Athénaïs, who was also the mistress to King Louis XIV, it follows the Marquide Montespan fight to get back his wife. It is written as a bawdy humorous tale but I am not sure if it is the translation or what, but I didn’t enjoy it.

An exciting story of love and lust at the court of King Louis XIV.
The Marquis de Montspan's new wife has been elevated to lady in waiting to the Queen at Versailles, but she catches the eye of the Sun King and the Marquis is bent on revenge.
A great story that held my interest to the end.
Will read more from Jean Teule.
I was given a digital copy of this book from Gallic Books via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.

Romanzo storico veramente bello e originale. Se vi piace il periodo, Francia seconda metà del '600, è sicuramente un libro da leggere. I personaggi sono esistiti e i fatti accaduti sono veri. Scritto molto bene, la vita di quegli anni descritta com'era veramente e non edulcorata. Ci sono scene un po' forti che magari possono disturbare. Il marchese di Montespan è davvero un gran bel personaggio.

Epoux de Madame de Montespan, favorite du roi Louis XIV, il fut le premier à oser affronter le roi publiquement. Contrairement aux autres hommes de son époque qui tirait profit de leur cocufiage, il refusa toute contrepartie et n'eut qu'un seul but: récupérer sa femme.
Jean Teulé nous dresse dans son roman pittoresque, le portrait de ce personnage haut en couleur.
extrait: "Pourquoi tout ce noir, monsieur?
Alors que l'étiquette commande de se découvrir devant Sa Majesté, Louis-Henri se coiffe maintenant d'un chapeau gris - le roi les déteste - et répond:
- Sire, je porte le deuil de mon amour
- Le deuil de votre amour?
- Oui sire, il est mort pour moi. Une canaille l'a tué."

GENIAL!