SKU: 99783681749

"Madame de" 1953 De Vilmorin, Louise

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"Madame de" 1953 De Vilmorin, LouiseDe Vilmorin, Louise [64] pp. Collins 1953 Third Impression Drawings by Ian Ribbons 8 1 4 x 5 1 4" 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 Ophls 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

De Vilmorin, Louise

[64] pp.

Collins

1953

Third Impression 

Drawings by Ian Ribbons

8 1/4 x 5 1/4"

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.

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SKU: 99783681749

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Mwamom
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 4
Oil them often
Beautiful boards. Wish the charcuterie side had more sections in the smaller boards. Be prepared to oil them often or the cut marks show quite a bit.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2026
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Amber
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Just what I expected
Been using these for about a month now. I will say they do scratch very easily. My knives suck, and first use you can see every scratch. I don’t really mind because I feel like that’s expected with wooden cutting boards. They look pretty, sit pretty, and haven’t split or warped on me yet. They have a good weight to them as well. I imagine you will have some upkeep such as using oil/board butter but I haven’t gotten to that point yet.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2025
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Bill C
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
Very nice boards
Great cutting boards. Have handled alot of abuse. The fact that you get 3 sizes is a plus and may be the best part is the golder for them so they can sit on your kitchen counter amd enjoy their beauty when not using them. Do not put them in the dishwasher
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Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2026
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Amazon Customer
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
No more plastic in my food
This is the real deal. Get yourself a cutting board maintenance kit and this will last 20 years. Great wood, no micro plastics in your food, easy to clean and maintain. And looks fantastic
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Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2026
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Joshua B.
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Beautiful Acacia Boards That Actually Feel Premium and Thoughtfully Made
I’ve gone through a lot of wooden cutting boards over the years, and these immediately stood out as feeling much higher quality than most sets in this price range. The acacia wood has a really rich, attractive grain pattern and the boards arrived smooth, solid, and well finished with no rough spots, cracks, or cheap “composite wood” feel. What initially caught my attention was the fact that these are marketed as non-toxic and free from mineral oil. Most people don’t think much about what wooden kitchen products are treated with, but I appreciated that these use a natural blend instead of petroleum-based mineral oil. The boards had a very clean, natural wood smell out of the box instead of that chemical/oily smell some cheaper boards have. The three-size setup is honestly perfect for daily kitchen use. I find myself constantly rotating between them: the large board for meal prep and meats the medium board for vegetables the small one for fruit, cheese, garlic, herbs, etc. The engraved food icons are also a surprisingly nice touch because they help keep things organized and reduce cross contamination without looking tacky. A few other things I really liked: They’re lightweight enough to move around easily but still feel sturdy - The wood is gentle on knives - The groove catches juices well - They look nice enough to double as serving boards - Packaging was clean and plastic-free/minimal Like any real wood cutting board, you absolutely need to: - hand wash only - dry them after use - occasionally recondition the wood If you expect dishwasher-safe convenience, these probably aren’t for you. But if you want attractive, natural wood boards that feel healthier and more intentional than cheap plastic boards, these are excellent. Overall, these feel like a genuinely thoughtful kitchen product rather than generic mass-produced boards with a trendy “eco” label slapped on them. Very happy with them so far.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2026

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