SKU: 41066516760

"Madame De" 1954 VILMORIN, Louise de (SOLD)

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"Madame De" 1954 VILMORIN, Louise de (SOLD)VILMORIN, Louise de [54] pp. Julian Messner, Inc. 1954 6 3 4" x 8 1 2" Drawings by Ian Ribbons VG VG A society woman in Paris sells her jewels, a gift from her husband, to pay debts. The buyer informs the husband, the husband buys them back and gives them to his mistress. The mistress sells them and they come back to the original woman via an admirer. THE story of the earrings of Madame de begins with this observation: "Elegance rather than beauty was

VILMORIN, Louise de

[54] pp.

Julian Messner, Inc.

1954

6 3/4" x 8 1/2"

Drawings by Ian Ribbons

VG/ VG

A society woman in Paris sells her jewels, a gift from her husband, to pay debts. The buyer informs the husband, the husband buys them back and gives them to his mistress. The mistress sells them and they come back to the original woman via an admirer.

THE story of the earrings of Madame de- begins with this observation: "Elegance rather than beauty was accorded the mark of merit in the circle of society to which Madame de- belonged." American readers who break into that charmed circle will no doubt agree that Madame de- was the most elegant of all women. Her manners were faultless, and her sensibilities exquisite. She deceived her husband like a lady, and he understood and forgave her like a true man of the world. Even her anonymity distinguished her: the author explains she wrote the book so quickly she had no time to give the heroine more than the dangling particle de.

Quickly written or not, Louise de Vilmorin's novelette is a perfect drawing room fable—a real jewel, as one of the characters might say in highest praise. And though the jewel is precious, it was cut with a rare economy of means. A complex story (recently made into a French movie) is told here in fifty-four pages of uncomplicated writing.

The theme of “Madame de” is deception: the web of falsehoods in which a fashionable woman can be caught, and drawn to tragedy. Madame de- cannot resist telling her rich and generous husband that her dresses cost half of what they actually did cost her. So to pay her debts she sells the heart-shaped diamond earrings which were a wedding present from Monsieur de- and pretends to lose them at a ball. The family jeweler who bought them believing Monsieur de- had some private money troubles suddenly finds himself in possession of jewels believed to have been stolen. He takes them to Monsieur de who buys them for the second time. Saddened by his wife's pretense, and the injury done his good name, he gives them to a mistress.

Before Moniseur de- is through he buys the earrings back three times, and they change hands on ten increasingly elaborate occasions Madame de- suffers at each exchange, until, abandoned by her ambassador-lover, she dies of sadness and pneumonia.

TRUE to Gallic tradition, both her husband and her lover are present for the deathbed scene, when her two hands gently open and disclose a diamond heart in each, “It was as though she had meant to give them away and she cared not to whom.

"'She is dead,' said Monsieur de-. 'Take this heart which she has given you, The other is her own. I will take charge of it.'

"Monsieur de- laid the other heart on the heart of his wife and then sent for the old nurse. Forthwith, the room was full of the rustle of skirts and the sound of wailing. The candles which had so often lit up her dinner parties now shone round her deathbed. Monsieur de- sent for his tailor, and, without telling him the reason, ordered some suits of mourning."

Madame de Vilmorin is at her best in this airy fantasy of manners. Her novel “Julietta” suggest that she is less gifted for bigger books; characterizations which seemed delightfully transparent in “Madame de” become opaque in a longer novel.

The least successful of these characters is the adolescent heroine, Julietta, who "spent her life in a world of her own invention." Escaping from her mother (a bourgeois lady) and her 54-year-old fiancé (a prince), Julietta takes refuge in the attic of Landrecourt (an intellectual). Here, she invents a world of her own so splendid that Landrecourt is dazzled and won—though his mistress-Rosie's exasperation with these goings-on deserves the reader's sympathy. In fact, the portrait of Rosie, in all her high-toned frivolity, is both the triumph and the symbol of Louise de Vilmorin's art.

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SKU: 41066516760

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4.5 ★★★★★
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NLB
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Interesting
Format: Kindle
So I will say I enjoyed the story, for sure had its moments where it dragged but it was a great story. I really liked that omegas picked their alphas/make the pack. Normally the Alphas make it and the omega fits in with them which is great but I enjoyed this new version where all the power basically went to the omega. It was a nice change of pace. I can admit some of the weird bedroom stuff with her being pregnant was odd, it’s really not hard to do stuff when pregnant (I know I’ve had two and it’s normal and even encouraged at the end especially if you want the baby out). But I like the story as a whole and will read the second, I do hope the next one isn’t dragged bc it stopped being action or tense after she met her alphas and I don’t think it was brought up or properly done when they tried to do it. More sweet after she left.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2024
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Altairjones
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 3
I’m a little disappointed.
Format: Kindle
I usually like Jillian West’s books but this one was missing a lot for me. The pregnancy didn’t come across as real. She’s on her feet for 12 hour days but is perfectly healthy at 8 months pregnant? Yet the week she moves in all of a sudden she’s not? She is planning on actually running during one of the plot buildups. But at 8 months pregnant that’s incredibly hard to do. The lack of breathing ability and lung space, the change in body center, mass, and gravity. All of it prohibits running, unless you’re an athlete this didn’t come off as at all realistic. I didn’t feel any connection with the alphas. There wasn’t any emotional connection. It could be because of the tense it was written in. But I didn’t get any deep feelings out of this. It came across as checking off boxes. Even the spicy scenes weren’t really believable for me. I wanted to see them fall for her, and it just kind of all fizzled. Even Bishop. One thing I did really like was the ending. I did not see it coming and I’m interested in reading book two because of it. But on the whole this book was mostly disappointing for me.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2024
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Melissa Williams
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 4
4.25 stars
Format: Kindle
Vale is an 8 month pregnant omega working as a waitress at a strip club and a cam girl. She starts to get very creepy vibes from a regular at the club, and her baby daddy ghosted her. She has had an online relationship with a man named Bishop through her cam girl status. One night, bishop was paying to watch her sleep and ansthe creepy regular Andrew break in and watch her sleep he tells vale to come to him at his business now. She flees and finds herself at a large security company with some.hot of alphas who are there to help her. This imegaverse is a little different than I have read, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. Vale is not a traditional omega she was raised by a single beta mom, and the alphas are not normal alphas they have never really loved pack life. But they are ruthless mercenaries. They need her, and she needs them. I love the aspect of the stalker and now the plot twists at the end, so so good. Sometimes, it seemed a little slow and stale mated, but since this a duet, I think It was just her starting to have Vale get to know her alpha suitors. Cliffhanger for sure with this one.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024
A
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Austin & Cambria
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
That ending 😫
Format: Kindle
I fell into a false sense of security and really thought this was gearing towards a happy ending. Then I realized there’s no work they don’t punish Andrew. I really liked Vale’s character. I don’t normally read books with pregnancy but going into this knowing she was pregnant made it more enjoyable for me. I loved Bishops devotion to her and her happiness. I also loved that Holt and Mercy couldn’t fight their attraction to her. I love scent matches so very much. I’m so curious to see how this duet will end up. And I need to pay more attention and notice that a book I’m starting is a duet to begin with lol
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Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2025
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Sarah A
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
oh wow
Format: Kindle
I just knew there was something about Cooper! I’m wondering if he’s about to be included but damn I’m glad he’s at least not a rapist and creepy guy, he just got called on assignment and had to go! This should be interesting! She’s gonna run and then what’s his face is gonna grab her. I’m worried! Wow that was a great book and cliffhanger! Loving this!
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Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2025

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