SKU: 71341310745

"Madame De" 1953 DE VILMORIN, Louise

Sale price$157.50 Regular price$175.00
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $43.75 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Sep 13 - Sep 18

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

"Madame De" 1953 DE VILMORIN, LouiseDE VILMORIN, Louise Marie Louise Lvque de Vilmorin (4 April 1902 26 December 1969) was a French novelist, poet and journalist. Vilmorin was best known as a writer of delicate but mordant tales, often set in aristocratic or artistic milieu. [64] pp. Collins 1953 Fifth Impression 8 1 4" x 5 1 4" Drawings by Ian Ribbons VG VG Her most famous novel was Madame de, published in 1951, which was adapted into the celebrated film The Earrings of Madame de

DE VILMORIN, Louise

Marie Louise Lévêque de Vilmorin (4 April 1902 – 26 December 1969) was a French novelist, poet and journalist. Vilmorin was best known as a writer of delicate but mordant tales, often set in aristocratic or artistic milieu.

[64] pp.

Collins

1953

Fifth Impression

8 1/4" x 5 1/4"

Drawings by Ian Ribbons

VG/ VG

Her most famous novel was Madame de..., published in 1951, which was adapted into the celebrated film The Earrings of Madame de... (1953), directed by Max Ophüls and starring Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux and Vittorio de Sica.

Tells the story of Madame de - 's earrings. This is a story of jewellery, of love, of denial, of society that aims to have the simplicity of a fairy tale and the elegance of an eighteenth century roman-a-clef.

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.

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 71341310745

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.6 ★★★★★
Based on 17 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
D
Verified Purchase
Don L. III
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Great to exercise the dogs!
Style: Sport, Size: Large
Great to throw 3” KONG Ball (RED) with hole thru it! The thrower is the best to exercise dogs with retrieving balls!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2026
J
Verified Purchase
JerseyGirl
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect toy for an active dog!
Color: Large size (7.9")
My dog absolutely loves this ball with handles! It’s quickly become one of his favorite toys, and he gets excited every time we bring it out to play. The vibrant colors are a huge plus—they make it super easy to spot in the grass, which saves a lot of time during outdoor play sessions. The handles are great for interactive play too, especially for tugging and tossing. I’m really impressed with how well it’s holding up. Even with constant pulling, tugging, and rough use, it’s remained durable and hasn’t shown any signs of wearing out. Overall, I’m very happy with this purchase—and if my dog could write reviews, it would definitely get his paw stamp of approval! 🐾
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2026
M
Verified Purchase
ML Pearson
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Not for strong chewers!
Color: Large size (7.9")
I have an English Springer Spaniel who is 1.5 yrs. She had this torn apart within the first 5 minutes. This is not for strong chewers!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2026
G
Verified Purchase
Gail A
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
Durable and fun
Color: Large size (7.9")
Pup loves this toy.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2026
P
Verified Purchase
pat
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 3
Great idea poor construction
Color: Large size (7.9"), Color: Large size (7.9")
Great for a dog that likes tug and fetch but the seams are not strong so it ripped fast not from tug but my dogs teeth. I sewed it once since we loved playing with it but it didnt last. Other seams opened. The seams opened in the ball part not by the handles. Less seams and stronger ones would make it 5 star. Im trying a different brand.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2026

recommand products