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Life, Letters, and Epicurean Philosophy of Ninon De L'enclos
HardPress Classic Books Series
396 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2024
45 people are currently reading
470 people want to read
About the author
Ninon de l'Enclos
40 books40 followersAnne "Ninon" de l'Enclos (also spelled Ninon de Lenclos and Ninon de Lanclos) was a French author, courtesan and patron of the arts.
Starting in the late 1660s she retired from her courtesan lifestyle and concentrated more on her literary friends — from 1667, she hosted her gatherings at l'hôtel Sagonne, which was considered "the" location of the salon of Ninon de l'Enclos despite other locales in the past. During this time she was a friend of Jean Racine, the great French playwright. Later she would become a close friend with the devout Françoise d'Aubigné, better known as Madame de Maintenon, the lady-in-waiting who would later become the second wife of Louis XIV. "The lady did not like her to be mentioned in her presence, but dared not disown her, and wrote cordial letters to her from time to time, to the day of her death" (Saint-Simon). Ninon eventually died at the age of (at least) 84, a very wealthy woman.
At one point in her life, Cardinal Richelieu offered fifty thousand crowns for a night in her bed. Ninon took the money, and sent a friend instead. "Ninon made friends among the great in every walk of life, had wit and intelligence enough to keep them, and, what is more, to keep them friendly with one another." (Saint-Simon).
Ninon de l'Enclos is a relatively obscure figure in the English-speaking world, but is much better known in France where her name is synonymous with wit and beauty.
Starting in the late 1660s she retired from her courtesan lifestyle and concentrated more on her literary friends — from 1667, she hosted her gatherings at l'hôtel Sagonne, which was considered "the" location of the salon of Ninon de l'Enclos despite other locales in the past. During this time she was a friend of Jean Racine, the great French playwright. Later she would become a close friend with the devout Françoise d'Aubigné, better known as Madame de Maintenon, the lady-in-waiting who would later become the second wife of Louis XIV. "The lady did not like her to be mentioned in her presence, but dared not disown her, and wrote cordial letters to her from time to time, to the day of her death" (Saint-Simon). Ninon eventually died at the age of (at least) 84, a very wealthy woman.
At one point in her life, Cardinal Richelieu offered fifty thousand crowns for a night in her bed. Ninon took the money, and sent a friend instead. "Ninon made friends among the great in every walk of life, had wit and intelligence enough to keep them, and, what is more, to keep them friendly with one another." (Saint-Simon).
Ninon de l'Enclos is a relatively obscure figure in the English-speaking world, but is much better known in France where her name is synonymous with wit and beauty.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 1, 2013
This lady was probably one of the greatest women of her time. Not surprised at all that the Age of Enlightenment started during her life. Ninon was probably one of the first great "activists" who initiated that movement.
Want to read
May 19, 2019Words of comfort to be scratched on a mirror
Helen of Troy had a wandering glance;
Sappho's restriction was only the sky;
Ninon was ever the chatter of France;
But oh, what a good girl am I!
—Dorothy Parker
Helen of Troy had a wandering glance;
Sappho's restriction was only the sky;
Ninon was ever the chatter of France;
But oh, what a good girl am I!
—Dorothy Parker
November 27, 2011
"A sensible woman should be guided by her head when taking a husband, and by her heart when taking a lover."
Pretty much sums up Ninon's philosophy. Let your head rule on matters of business your heart on matters of emotion.
I read this in bits and bobs, here and there, it will be something I re-read in the same manner.
Pretty much sums up Ninon's philosophy. Let your head rule on matters of business your heart on matters of emotion.
I read this in bits and bobs, here and there, it will be something I re-read in the same manner.
September 4, 2025
My Review of Life, Letters, and Epicurean Philosophy of Ninon de L’Enclos
I spent two months with this book, and what a ride it was. I loved it so much I purchased a reproduction hardcover-copy from Kissinger books—a facsimile scan.
At first, I honestly wouldn’t have recommended it. The opening “biography” section isn’t the letters I thought I was getting — instead, it’s a puritanical 19th-century author’s endless moralizing about Ninon. His whole view of her boils down to: “she’s a whore with a heart of gold” — and he doesn’t let you forget it. Page after page, it’s the same contradiction: she’s progressive for her time, brilliant, witty, independent… but oh, she still slept with men. He even opens by saying he admires her, but that she made “questionable choices.” No kidding. It reads like he has a personal vendetta against Christianity, women’s freedom, or both. I almost put the book down at this point — the moralizing frustrated me so much I kept asking, where are the letters I was promised? But I’m glad I pushed through, because the treasure lies ahead.
But once you slog past that, the real meat of the book begins: the letters. These are where Ninon comes alive. Her correspondence with the young Marquis is witty, biting, and brutally honest. She guides him through the labyrinth of love and shows how men and women toy with each other, deceive each other, and eventually move on once passion fades. Cruel? Yes. But also timeless. Read in 2025 through a Machiavellian lens instead of a romantic one, it’s dead-on about why people fall in and out of love, and why clinging to someone after the spark dies only poisons both of you.
Then come the letters with Saint-Évremond. They’re trickier — some might be forgeries — but they still have nuggets of gold, especially his thoughts on why marriage so often fails. Their friendship, their wit, their tenderness in old age gave me moments that genuinely hit me in the chest. One of the last letters made me cry. There’s a strange beauty in watching two sharp, aging minds still playing the game of words while staring death in the face.
The final section ties it all together with Epicurean philosophy, mostly through Saint-Évremond’s voice. It’s simple, elegant, and practical: enjoy pleasure in moderation, avoid the kinds that leave you anxious or regretful, and never seek enjoyment at the expense of others. That hit me hard, because it’s still true. Epicurus wasn’t a hedonist the way people paint him; he was about balance, peace, and living without chains.
So, my verdict? The biography at the start is frustrating and moralizing, but once you get to Ninon’s actual words, the book is worth every page. It’s a wild, melancholy, witty, and strangely comforting trip into love, friendship, aging, and pleasure — and it holds up better than most books written today.
I spent two months with this book, and what a ride it was. I loved it so much I purchased a reproduction hardcover-copy from Kissinger books—a facsimile scan.
At first, I honestly wouldn’t have recommended it. The opening “biography” section isn’t the letters I thought I was getting — instead, it’s a puritanical 19th-century author’s endless moralizing about Ninon. His whole view of her boils down to: “she’s a whore with a heart of gold” — and he doesn’t let you forget it. Page after page, it’s the same contradiction: she’s progressive for her time, brilliant, witty, independent… but oh, she still slept with men. He even opens by saying he admires her, but that she made “questionable choices.” No kidding. It reads like he has a personal vendetta against Christianity, women’s freedom, or both. I almost put the book down at this point — the moralizing frustrated me so much I kept asking, where are the letters I was promised? But I’m glad I pushed through, because the treasure lies ahead.
But once you slog past that, the real meat of the book begins: the letters. These are where Ninon comes alive. Her correspondence with the young Marquis is witty, biting, and brutally honest. She guides him through the labyrinth of love and shows how men and women toy with each other, deceive each other, and eventually move on once passion fades. Cruel? Yes. But also timeless. Read in 2025 through a Machiavellian lens instead of a romantic one, it’s dead-on about why people fall in and out of love, and why clinging to someone after the spark dies only poisons both of you.
Then come the letters with Saint-Évremond. They’re trickier — some might be forgeries — but they still have nuggets of gold, especially his thoughts on why marriage so often fails. Their friendship, their wit, their tenderness in old age gave me moments that genuinely hit me in the chest. One of the last letters made me cry. There’s a strange beauty in watching two sharp, aging minds still playing the game of words while staring death in the face.
The final section ties it all together with Epicurean philosophy, mostly through Saint-Évremond’s voice. It’s simple, elegant, and practical: enjoy pleasure in moderation, avoid the kinds that leave you anxious or regretful, and never seek enjoyment at the expense of others. That hit me hard, because it’s still true. Epicurus wasn’t a hedonist the way people paint him; he was about balance, peace, and living without chains.
So, my verdict? The biography at the start is frustrating and moralizing, but once you get to Ninon’s actual words, the book is worth every page. It’s a wild, melancholy, witty, and strangely comforting trip into love, friendship, aging, and pleasure — and it holds up better than most books written today.
March 28, 2019
The book begins with a very dated biography. The actual writings of Ninon follow and they are what makes this 4 stars. Interesting read.
June 18, 2019
It was kinda wonderful in the beginning, i find it hard to understand philosophy and how it is written. But I loved the fact that she was handing advices to a young man.
June 24, 2022
Came for the Epicurean philosophy. Brilliant woman, would have been happy to have her as a friend.
December 12, 2024
Läsning 3: av någon anledning återvänder jag till L'Enclos. Det finns råd där om att förstå människor som jag var tredje år sådär får för mig är djupare än de är. Samtidigt så finns det delar som djupnar med erfarenhet... Att läsa L'enclos som farsa är annorlunda än det var innan. Fortfarande läsvärd. Vi får se om jag tar mig igenom henne en 4e gång.
Läsning 2: Ninon L'Enclos var epikuré, och hennes två favoritämnen var kärlek och själaro. Förra gången jag läste denna gav jag upp halvvägs, för den text jag hade att arbeta med var miserabel, och innehållet bara av begränsat intresse. Nu har jag hittat en internetversion av texten, och läst denna.
Större delen av brevsamlingen är råd till två unga bekanta, vars kärlekshistoria Ninon förnöjt observerar och kommenterar. Den är kraftigt ironiserande, och inte alltid salongsfähig, men roande. De konsistenta dragen hos Ninon är dels hennes pragmatism, dels hennes skepsis mot affekt. Hennes uppmaning till läsaren är att acceptera att de bara delvis kontrollerar sitt eget själsliv, och att likaledes erkänna att detta gäller andra. Från detta härleder hon råd som i princip handlar om att låta bli att göra livet svårare för andra, vilket hon hävdar leder till framgång i både kurtis och vänskap.
Den högtravande introduktionen kunde jag ha varit utan, men trots den rekommenderar jag boken för de som är intresserade av filosofi med många sjåser, men utan försök till akademisering.
Läsning 2: Ninon L'Enclos var epikuré, och hennes två favoritämnen var kärlek och själaro. Förra gången jag läste denna gav jag upp halvvägs, för den text jag hade att arbeta med var miserabel, och innehållet bara av begränsat intresse. Nu har jag hittat en internetversion av texten, och läst denna.
Större delen av brevsamlingen är råd till två unga bekanta, vars kärlekshistoria Ninon förnöjt observerar och kommenterar. Den är kraftigt ironiserande, och inte alltid salongsfähig, men roande. De konsistenta dragen hos Ninon är dels hennes pragmatism, dels hennes skepsis mot affekt. Hennes uppmaning till läsaren är att acceptera att de bara delvis kontrollerar sitt eget själsliv, och att likaledes erkänna att detta gäller andra. Från detta härleder hon råd som i princip handlar om att låta bli att göra livet svårare för andra, vilket hon hävdar leder till framgång i både kurtis och vänskap.
Den högtravande introduktionen kunde jag ha varit utan, men trots den rekommenderar jag boken för de som är intresserade av filosofi med många sjåser, men utan försök till akademisering.
December 3, 2012
I chose this book because I wanted to learn mire about the social life in eighteenth century Europe, in this case, France. Gor that, the book was useful, at least as regards the priviled classes' social lives. But I am not overly fond of books decribing how amazing someone is, and that is really what this book is all about. Just not really that interesting...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews