Les Dames Vertes

by George Sand

M. Nivières, jeune avocat, se rend un beau jour de mai au château d'Ionis, chargé par son père de résoudre une affaire particulièrement délicate : convaincre La belle Mme d'Ionis de le laisser défendre sa cause dans un procès où, par bonté, elle souhaite protéger ses adversaires... Mais, la nuit, le château est peuplé d'étranges créatures qui viennent troubler le sommeil de M. Nivières et semer le doute dans son esprit. Doit-il gagner ce procès ou le perdre ? Doit-il croire à ce qu'il voit ou non ? Tiraillé entre rêve et réalité, amour et devoir, M. Nivières ne sait décidément plus que faire... Ce texte - enfin rendu accessible aux élèves de collège - offre de nouvelles perspectives sur l'œuvre de la grande romancière du XIXe siècle, trop souvent réduite aux romans dits "champêtres".

Genres: Ghosts, French Literature, France

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1857

About the author

Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil, best known by her pen name George Sand, was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. One of the most popular writers in Europe in her lifetime, being more renowned than either Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balzac in England in the 1830s and 1840s, Sand is recognised as one of the most notable writers of the European Romantic era. She wrote more than 50 volumes of various works to her credit, including tales, plays and political texts, alongside her 70 novels.
Like her great-grandmother, Louise Dupin, whom she admired, George Sand advocated for women's rights and passion, criticized the institution of marriage, and fought against the prejudices of a conservative society. She was considered scandalous because of her turbulent love life, her adoption of masculine clothing, and her masculine pseudonym.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Green Ladies of the title refers to a legend of the Chateau d’Ionis, where much of the story takes place. Legend says that three lovely sisters, daughters of the house, were murdered by a jealous rival, who poisoned the fountain they drank from, and whose water was used to make their bread. And now the Green Ladies are said to haunt one of the rooms of the chateau.

I made the smooth-reading of this book and Project Gutenberg will publish it pretty soon.

Not so happy with the English translation... It was translated by Katherine Berry di Zérèga who also translated Bijou's courtships : a study in pink written by Gyp (source: Worldcat).

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free download available at Project Gutenberg

I made the proofreading of this book for Free Literature and Project Gutenberg will publish it.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Plot Summary:
"The story unfolds around a young lawyer named Nivières, who is dispatched to the château of Ionis to assist in a legal affair. As he arrives, he becomes embroiled in supernatural occurrences tied to the naiad—the spirit of three young ladies from the castle's past—highlighting themes of duty, fascination with the ethereal, and the contrast between reality and the supernatural. At the start of the story, Nivières brings with him a combination of youthful ambition and a longing for literary pursuits over his legal duties. He encounters Madame d'Ionis, a captivating woman trapped in social constraints, surrounded by family members consumed by an ongoing lawsuit. As he spends the night in the château, he learns more about the tragic history of the d'Ionis ladies, who seemingly haunt the place. A haunted dinner setup with three loaves of bread symbolizes a mysterious ritual to please these spirits. When he later perceives a living naiad in the moonlight, their dialogue reveals deep, philosophical ruminations on love, duty, and the essence of the afterlife, setting the stage for an exploration of emotional and ethical dilemmas in the face of supernatural lore."

[Lee Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very glad I stumbled on this! I knew nothing of the author but the beauty and eloquence of this will have me reading more of her work for sure. I loved the English translation, but I wouldn't be in a position to know the accuracy.
I thought it was great. *I* certainly fell in love the with the title character! Loved the dialogue and the end was great.

[Christina Shakirova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Из плюсов: понравилась сама легенда о трех девах, интересные образы, ритуал с тремя хлебами и тд

Из минусов: местами бесил главный герой, приторный финал.

Почитать можно )

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a fairy tale than a ghost story, it's honestly pretty cute.

[Genevieve Uhler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, captivating writing, except the plot twist at the end was very unrealistic and I know it's a 19th century novel but im still not loving the cousin romance

[Alex42 · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the jewels from the crown of one of the greatest authors of the past century!


I believe, that most appropriate audience for this sophisticated
romantic story would be the ladies of all ages and everybody with the good taste to fine literature with the elements of mysticism...