Memoirs Duc De Saint-Simon Volume Three: 1715-1723 [Paperback]

Lucy Norton (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2000

This is the third volume in Lucy Norton's three-volume abridgement and translation of the the memoirs of the Duc de Saint-Simon, first published in the 1960s. The court of Louis XIV, the Sun King, at Versailles was unequalled for splendour in Europe's history, a hotbed of intrigues and jealousy, passion both political and personal, as well as artistic and literary excellence - this is its memorial. This, like the previous volumes, is peppered throughout with character sketches which bring the period to life. The third volume starts with the funeral of Louis XIV, the ensuing violent quarrels of the Duc d'Orleans, the Regent, and the Duc de Maine, senior of the late king's bastards, espionage and intrigues concerning the Stuart pretender to the English throne, the debauched life of the Regent and his "public Harem", the persecution of Voltaire, French reaction to the union of Scotland and England, the death of the Regent - and much more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 536 pages
• Publisher: Prion Books (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853753548
• ISBN-13: 978-1853753541
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,122,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Third Volume of the Duc de Saint-Simon's Memoirs, December 16, 2001

By 

shane (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs Duc De Saint-Simon Volume Three: 1715-1723 (Paperback)

The Memoirs of the Duc de Saint-Simon is one of those rare books that compel one to pick up a pen and try their own hand at the literary caper. The easy flow of the narrative, and, as the Memoirs progress, his delightful vitriol read as if receiving a letter from a long lost friend. The very fact that Saint-Simon's everyday life revolved around the French court of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries makes it all the more fascinating for the modern reader. A word of warning - the long-winded French names and the plethora of ever changing titles can get confusing.

There would be few who could not be moved by Saint-Simon's rapturous delight at the defeat of his enemies, where his writing is at its unequalled best. However, by far the greatest strength of these Memoirs is the authors humbleness. Time and again he apologies to his reader for lengthy diversions, and for his inability to handle the material well, yet it cannot be denied that he is the greatest memoir writer to have lived, in all senses of the word. His conclusion, admiting that he can be repetitive and long winded is a tour de force, and we are allowed a knowing smile when we recollect that his pride has so often shone through elsewhere - there is nothing more pleasant to read than the work of a HUMAN author, with all the quirks and failings of our own. The translator's (Lucy Norton) footnotes are extremely helpful without being cumbersome. While the length of the three volumes will alienate many a potential reader, they are well worth any time invested in their perusal.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful detail!, August 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Memoirs Duc De Saint-Simon Volume Three: 1715-1723 (Paperback)

I am a diehard fan of European royal history and I loved this book. It is the first part of the memoirs of a Duke who lived in France during the last years of Louis XIV and during the regency of Duc de Orleans, Louis XV's minority. He is very detailed, telling stories about all of the people at court. Lucy Norton has done a great job of leaving the interesting tidbits in and leaving out the dull, long stories on politics, treaties, etc. I am more interested in biographies and this book was just what I love, you really get to know a lot about court life during this period. This third volume deals with the regency of the Duc d'Oreleans and the coronation of Louis XV.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful detail!, August 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Memoirs Duc De Saint-Simon Volume Three: 1715-1723 (Paperback)

I am a diehard fan of European royal history and I loved this book. It is the first part of the memoirs of a Duke who lived in France during the last years of Louis XIV and during the regency of Duc de Orleans, Louis XV's minority. He is very detailed, telling stories about all of the people at court. Lucy Norton has done a great job of leaving the interesting tidbits in and leaving out the dull, long stories on politics, treaties, etc. I am more interested in biographies and this book was just what I love, you really get to know a lot about court life during this period. This first volume deals with the reign of Louis XIV and all of the intrigues as he is 53-71 years old.