Memoirs of the Duc De Saint-Simon: 1715-23 v. 3

Duc De Saint-Simon

H.Hamilton

The Duc de Saint-Simon was at the very center of Louis XIV's court at Versailles, a hotbed of intrigue, passion, jealousy, and political skullduggery. He was a genuinely pious and honest man whose unblinking record of the court-his eye-witness testimony of wars, intrigues, and royal visits-make this a supreme work of art. These memoirs were the literary inspiration for Marcel Proust's own masterpiece, Remembrance of Things Past.

Memoirs: Duc de Saint-Simon Volume One: 1691-1709

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Prion

Wit, humor, vitriol and pageantry-the necessary hallmarks for a peer at the French court―also deliver a great read. Saint-Simon regales us with an irreverent, insider's view of his more than 30 years at court, from the later days of Louis XIV to the ascension of Louis XV. All the plays for power, sex, position and money by friends, enemies, nobles and others are here, with Saint-Simon's fascinating, and brutally honest, assessment of any situation.

Memoirs of Duc de Saint-Simon, 1691-1709: Presented to the King

UNKNO

Saint Simon kept a journal during the 30 plus years he was a peer at the French court. He spent his retirement writing his memoirs, a first-hand account of the train-wreck that eventually lead to the French Revolution. When he died, his memoirs were confiscated by order of the King. The French government did not release them until 1830. Many of Saint-Simon's letters are possibly still being held.

Memoirs of Duc de Saint-Simon, 1710-1715: The Bastards Triumphant

Lucy Norton has provided a modern translation worthy of the original (she was encouraged by Nancy Mitford, and in fact dedicates the work to her) and Saint-Simon's splendid voice is clearly heard. But his legendary attention to detail at times threatens the narrative flow of the story. Lucy Norton has thoughtfully and compassionately abridged the repetitive and irrelevant, resulting in a work that allows the modern reader to enjoy the incredible richness of the whole.

Memoirs of Duc de Saint-Simon, 1715-1723: Fatal Weakness