Author: JOUY (Victor Joseph Etienne):
Title: Cécile ou Les Passions.
Description: Paris Chez l'Éditeur [imprimerie de J. Tastu]. 1827 FIRST EDITION. 5 volumes. 12mo, 184 x 109 mms., pp. [iv], 276; [iv], 247 [248 blank]; [iv], 208; [iv], 199 [200 blank]; [iv], 230, including half-title in each volume, original blue-gray printed wrappers, completely uncut, waste paper end-papers, a very good set as issued, with the small bookseller's ticket of F. G. Lovrault, Paris, on the front paste-down end-paper, and a small oval stamp on the verso of each half-title, "Furstliche Hofbibliothek DonaueSchingen." Jouy (!764 - 1846) will be known to opera buffs as the author who supplied the libretto for Spontini's La Vestale, which enjoyed enormous success thanks to the literary quality of Jouy's text. He also provided libretti for other operas by Spontini, e. g., Milton, and for Cherabini's Abencérages, and Rossini's Moïse et Pharaon and Guillaume Tell. I confess that I do not know what this episstolary novel is about, but the opening sentence is quoted in some descriptions on the internet: "Tu crains, dis-tu, de me fâcher, ma bonne petite Pauline, en continuant à te moquer de ce comte de Montford, que tu t'imagines devoir être un jour mon époux. Tes craintes sont mal fondées; tu peux te livrer tout entière à tes pensées malignes ; poursuis, ma bonne amie, et souviens-toi qu'il y a deux choses décidément impossibles : la première, que Cécile cesse d'aimer Pauline ; la seconde, qu'elle s'appelle jamais comtesse de Montford." Google translation: "You fear, you say, of making me angry, my good little Pauline, by continuing to make fun of this Count of Montford, whom you imagine will one day be my husband. Your fears are ill-founded; you can give yourself up entirely devoted to your malignant thoughts; continue, my good friend, and remember that there are two decidedly impossible things: the first, that Cécile should cease to love Pauline; the second, that she should never be called Countess of; Montford."

Keywords: fiction French literature


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