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Albert Cohen
Albert Cohen was a Swiss diplomat and novelist best known for his 1968 book Belle du Seigneur. His writing examines the intensity of romantic obsession and the social hierarchies of the early twentieth century. He
Belle du Seigneur
Synopsis
Geneva, the 1930s. Solal, the brilliant and disillusioned Under-Secretary-General of the League of Nations, sets out to seduce Ariane, the beautiful, aristocratic wife of one of his own foppish underlings — and succeeds so completely that the affair swallows them both. Across a sweeping, savagely ironic epic, Albert Cohen dissects romantic passion down to its vanities and self-deceptions, following the lovers from ecstasy to claustrophobia to a shared and bitter end. Winner of the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française.
Genres
Characters
ArianeProtagonist
Grand Prix du Roman de l'Académie française (1968)Mikael Agricola -palkinto (2004)Premi Crítica Serra d'Or de Traducció (1989)Scott Moncrieff Prize (1996)
Frequently asked questions
Is Belle du Seigneur part of a larger series?
Belle du Seigneur is the third novel in Albert Cohen's "Solal" tetralogy, following "Solal" and "Nailcruncher." While it can be read independently, understanding the full scope of the characters' histories and relationships is enhanced by reading the preceding volumes.
Was Belle du Seigneur adapted into a film?
Yes, Belle du Seigneur was adapted into a French-language film in 2012, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Natalia Vodianova. The adaptation aimed to capture the novel's passionate and dramatic core.