 Title page of the redacted 1753 edition | |
| Author | Antoine François Prévost |
|---|---|
| Original title | Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux, et de Manon Lescaut |
| Language | French |
| Genre | Novel |
Publication date | 1731 |
| Publication place | France |
| Media type | |
Original text | Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux, et de Manon Lescaut at French Wikisource |
| Translation | The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut at Wikisource |
The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut (French: Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux, et de Manon Lescaut [istwaʁ dy ʃ(ə)valje de ɡʁijø e d(ə) manɔ̃ lɛsko]) is a novel by Antoine François Prévost. Published in 1731, it is the seventh and final volume of Mémoires et aventures d'un homme de qualité (Memoirs and Adventures of a Man of Quality).
The story, set in France and Louisiana in the early 18th century, follows the hero, the Chevalier des Grieux, and his lover, Manon Lescaut. Controversial in its time, the work was banned in France upon publication. Despite this, it became very popular and pirated editions were widely distributed. In a subsequent 1753 edition, the Abbé Prévost toned down some scandalous details and injected more moralizing disclaimers. The work was to become the most reprinted book in French literature, with over 250 editions published between 1731 and 1981.[1]
- ^ Johnson, Edward Joe (2003). Once There Were Two True Friends: Or, Idealized Male Friendship in French Narrative from the Middle Ages Through the Enlightenment. Summa Publications. pp. 247–248. ISBN 9781883479428.