Public reader discussion about Manon Lescaut in the WeRead Catalog by abbé Prévost.
By Stone_Brown1977
I’ve been getting really curious about Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s *Les Liaisons Dangereuses* / *Dangerous Liaisons* (I’ve seen both English titles used). Since it was written around 1790, I figured it should be public domain by now, but I can’t seem to find a free e-text anywhere. Does anyone know where I could download it? I already checked the usual suspects like Project Gutenberg and Google Books.
By Protozoa_Mocha19548
Hey all, longtime reader here. I’ve been stuck in a fantasy/sci-fi rut for the last couple years, but now I really want to branch out. I’ve already read a few French authors (Victor Hugo and Maurice Druon, for sure) and I honestly loved them. This year I want to dig into more French lit, but I’m not really sure where to start. I know some of the big names from the past—Victor Hugo, Alexander Dumas, Emile Zola—but that’s kind of where my knowledge ends. If anyone has recommendations, I’d love to hear them. EDIT: Thanks everyone for the great suggestions!
By eclipseplanet
I used to really hate my name because it felt like I was the only one with it. Now I’m actually glad it’s different, and I like how people get curious when I tell them what it is. I also used to watch that Vine/social media person “Manon Matthews,” and it made me wonder who else is out there. I was born in ’98, and in my 25 years I’ve never met another Manon in real life. I’ve heard people say there are others, but I’ve never actually run into one. Manons, unite! Quick question too: if your name is Manon, how do you pronounce it? Also, wow—reading all these replies has me learning a bunch about the “culture” of this name, and about all the awesome people who have it. It’s honestly inspiring, and it kind of feels like I’m healing that old childhood thing where I got made fun of for my name. Thanks, everyone!!!
By faintLynx
I’m literally thinking about this while reading Kristin Hannah’s *The Women*—she keeps acting like San Diego and Los Angeles are basically the same place, even though they’re clearly separate cities and not exactly next door. And it’s not just her; I see this kind of thing all the time, even in books I really like. Like when I read *Game of Thrones*, it felt like everyone could just hop around Westeros whenever they wanted, even though the whole setting makes it seem like those areas are way far apart. So I’m curious: are there any books where the geography (real or made-up, modern or historical) actually feels believable and consistent? Or, on the other hand, can you think of a book where the internal geography is so bad it’s kind of funny? Also I’m skipping nonfiction, since with those writers presumably have the real-world distance stuff figured out.
By drizzle-plasma
I’ve been reading kids’ books lately, but I really want to start getting into the classics too—just curious what everyone thinks about it.
By Mug-Couplet
C’est où pour la partie 2 ? J’essaie de l’ouvrir mais je ne suis pas sûr que j’y arrive.
By BookmarkStanza99
This painting just drags you right into that last, really tragic moment of their love story. You can pretty much tell it’s from that old French novel people always bring up. Everything happens out in a huge, empty Louisiana desert, all pale sand and this hazy sky that makes the whole place feel endless and lonely, like there’s no hope anywhere. And the whole composition basically locks onto the two of them. Manon is lying there so still, like she’s been put in a shallow grave he had to dig right there. She’s wearing this stunning blue dress with all these delicate details, and it feels completely wrong for the middle of nowhere—like it’s showing what she dreamed of, luxury and beauty, and how pointless it all looks now that everything’s gone sideways. Des Grieux is kneeling next to her, exhausted and torn up, both in his body and in his face. His clothes are ruined, his arm has a bloody mark, and the look on him is just helpless grief. He’s staring down at her like his whole life is collapsing. It’s wild to think how much he already gave up—family, honor, his future—and still ends up losing her for good. It feels like the exact second right after she dies. They ran off into the wilderness after he ended up in that duel over her, and now the desert and the whole brutal journey finally beat her. He’s even digging her grave with his own broken sword, which somehow makes it even more heartbreaking, like his “proper” life is shattered for good because of this love that consumed everything.