''The Queen's Necklace'' is a
novel
A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
by
Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright.
His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...
that was published in 1849 and 1850 (immediately following the
French Revolution of 1848). It is loosely based on the
Affair of the Diamond Necklace, an episode involving fraud and royal scandal that made headlines at the court of
Louis XVI
Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...
in the 1780s.
The Novel
The novel first appeared in serialised form in
''La Presse''. The story takes place between 1784 and 1785. It is the second in a series of four novels focused on the character of
Cagliostro, presented by Dumas as the man pulling all the strings of the affair.
Sources
The first chapters of the novel, which feature a dinner hosted by the old Marshal of Richelieu, were inspired by a text by
Jean-François de La Harpe called ''The Prophecy of Cazotte''.
''La Prophétie de Cazotte''
In this passage, the Count of Cagliostro predicts for the various guests ( Lapérouse, the Countess of Barry, Condorcet and Gustav III of Sweden, the count of Haga) the tragic end that awaits them and the execution of Louis XVI. This foreshadowing throws light on the tragic plot, as the reader already knows that the efforts of the protagonists, including the queen, to prove their innocence are doomed to failure.
* Mme Campan, ''Memoirs of the Private Life of Marie Antoinette'', Baldwin, 1823.
Adaptations
The plot of the novel was fully or partially included in adaptations for film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
and television
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
, which also drew on the historical facts:
*''Le Collier de la reine'', a short, silent film, directed by Etienne Arnaud and Louis Feuillade, released in 1909;
*'' The Queen's Necklace'', directed by Tony Lekain and Gaston Ravel, released in 1929;
*'' The Queen's Necklace'', directed by Marcel L'Herbier
Marcel L'Herbier (; 23 April 1888 – 26 November 1979) was a French filmmaker who achieved prominence as an avant-garde theorist and imaginative practitioner with a series of silent films in the 1920s. His career as a director continued unti ...
, released in 1946;
*'' The Affair of the Necklace'', directed by Charles Shyer, released in 2001, whose plot follows that of the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, but whose elements have been drawn from the novel by Alexandre Dumas.
References
External links
The book on Ebooks for free
*
Novels by Alexandre Dumas
1850 French novels
Novels set in France
Novels first published in serial form
Fiction set in 1784
Fiction set in 1785
Novels set in the 1780s
French novels adapted into films
Works about the Affair of the Diamond Necklace
Cultural depictions of Alessandro Cagliostro
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