''Les Secrets de la princesse de Cadignan'' (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

"The Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan") is a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

by Honoré de Balzac. It was published in

1839 Events January–March * January 2 – The first photograph of the Moon is taken, by French photographer Louis Daguerre. * January 6 – Night of the Big Wind: Ireland is struck by the most damaging cyclone in 300 years. * January 9 – T ...

and is one of the ''Scènes de la vie Parisienne'' of ''

La Comédie humaine LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

''. The short story depicts a princess of Cadignan whose husband was

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

d. After a number of

extramarital affairs An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of i ...

, the princess decides to seduce a conservative politician. She uses the pretext of conversing about a deceased mutual friend, and makes an effort to read the politician's books in order to have topics to discuss with him.

Plot summary

Diane de Maufrigneuse, also known as the Princesse de Cadignan is an aristocrat whose husband went into exile after the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (french: révolution de Juillet), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after the first in 1789. It led to the overthrow of King ...

in 1830 due to his loyalty to Charles X. She has had a number of love affairs which her husband has ignored. She was also loved by Michel Chrestien, who admired her from afar, usually attending the opera in order to see her. Chrestien, an ardent republican is killed in a republican uprising in 1832. She wishes to meet and ensnare the esteemed writer and conservative politician, Daniel d'Arthez. Her pretext for meeting him is that he was a friend of Chrestien. They had been very close friends in spite of their different political opinions. In order to arrange this meeting, her friend Marquise d'Espard hosts a small dinner party and invites Diane, d'Arthez and some others. The Princesse and d'Arthez are seated next to each other, and speak about Chrestien. Afterwards, d'Arthez visits the Princesses' home every evening and falls in love with her. Diane hurriedly reads his books during the day in order to converse about them with d'Arthez in the evenings. One evening Diane tells d'Arthez how high society has wronged her particularly by gossiping about her. Daniel falls more deeply in love with her. Then at her request he attends a party at Marquise d'Espard's home without her. There he hears some of the guests gossiping about Diane, particularly the ways in which she has used her former lovers. Daniel rebukes the others and speaks in defence of Diane. Afterwards, Daniel and Diane become more committed in their love for each other. They spend more time together and d'Arthez spends less time on his writing.

Reception and legacy

This story influenced works by other authors. It is analysed by a character in

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel ''In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous Eng ...

's ''

Sodome et Gomorrhe ''In Search of Lost Time'' (french: À la recherche du temps perdu), first translated into English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'', and sometimes referred to in French as ''La Recherche'' (''The Search''), is a novel in seven volumes by French ...

'', and it also influenced the plot of

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

's '' The American''.

Adaptation

1982: ''

Les Secrets de la princesse de Cadignan ''Les Secrets de la princesse de Cadignan'' (English "The Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan") is a short story by Honoré de Balzac. It was published in 1839 and is one of the ''Scènes de la vie Parisienne'' of ''La Comédie humaine''. Plo ...

'', TV movie directed by Jacques Deray, with Claudine Auger in the role of the Princess of Cadignan;

Marina Vlady Marina Vlady (born 10 May 1938) is a French actress. Biography Vlady was born in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine to White Russian immigrant parents. Her father was an opera singer and her mother was a dancer. Her sisters, now all deceased, were the act ...

: the Marquise d'Espard;

François Marthouret François Marthouret (born 12 September 1943) is a French actor. Selected filmography Theater References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Marthouret, Francois 1943 births Living people Male actors from Paris French male film actors ...

: Daniel d'Arthez;

Pierre Arditi Pierre Arditi (born 1 December 1944) is a French actor. He is the brother of French actress Catherine Arditi. Life and career Born in Paris, his father was the painter Georges Arditi, from Marseille of Jewish descent, and his mother Yvonne L ...

: Émile Blondet; Niels Arestrup: Rastignac;

Françoise Christophe Françoise Christophe (1923–2012) was a French film actor, film and television actress.Goble p.201 Partial filmography * ''Premier rendez-vous'' (1941) - Une pensionnaire de l'orphelinat (uncredited) * ''Mariage d'amour'' (1942) - La secrétai ...

: the Countess of Montcornet.

References

Bibliography

* Loredana Bolzan, ''Segreti e bugie: Balzac sul cuore femminile'', ''Rivista di Letterature Moderne e Comparate'', January-March 2005, No. 58, , . * Jean-Loup Bourget, ''Balzac et le néo-classicisme: à propos des 'Secrets de la princesse de Cadignan' '', ''Romanic Review'', 1975, No. 66, . * Tim Farrant, ''Le privé: espace menacé ? Des premières ''Scènes de la vie privée'' aux 'Secrets de la princesse de Cadignan' '', '' L'Année balzacienne'', 1994, No. 15, . * Diana Festa-McCormick, ''Linguistic Deception in Balzac's 'Princesse de Cadignan' '', ''Nineteenth-Century French Studies'', spring-summer 1986, No. 14, , . * Alexander Fischler, ''Duplication and “Comédie morale” in Balzac's 'Les Secrets de la princesse de Cadignan' '', ''Studies in Romanticism'', summer 1985, No. 24, , . * Christelle Girard, ''Canonisation du roman, pensée du romanesque: Balzac, 'Les Secrets de la princesse de Cadignan' '', ''Littérature'', No. 173, March 2014, . * Dominique Jullien, ''Of Stories and Women'', ''SubStance'', 1991, No. 20, (65), . * Maryse Laffitte, '' 'Les Secrets de la princesse de Cadignan'': féminité, vérité et roman'', ''Revue romane'', 1993, No. 28, , . * Thos. O. Mabbott, ''A Newly Found American Translation of Balzac'', ''Modern Language Notes'', April 1946, No. 61, , . * Angela S. Moger, ''Dressing and Undressing the Princess of Cadignan: Female Drapery/Narrative Striptease'', ''Romanic Review'', May 2004, No. 95, , . * Allan H. Pasco, ''Anti-Nous and Balzac's 'Princess de Cadignan' '' », ''Romance Quarterly'', November 1987, No. 34, , . * Madeleine A. Simons, ''Le génie au féminin ou les paradoxes de 'La Princesse de Cadignan' '', ''L'Année balzacienne'', 1988, No. 9, .

External links

"The Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan", translation (by Katharine Prescott Wormeley) at Project Gutenberg (full text)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Secrets de la princesse de Cadignan 1839 short stories French short stories Books of La Comédie humaine Short stories by Honoré de Balzac Cultural depictions of Charles X of France Works about princesses Works about politicians Short stories about adultery