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Letters from a Peruvian Woman
One of the most popular works of the eighteenth century, Lettres d'une Peruvienne appeared in more than 130 editions, reprints, and translations during the hundred years following its publi cation in 1747. In the novel the Inca princess Zilia is kidnapped by Spanish conquerors, captured by the French after a battle at sea, and taken to Europe. Graffigny's brilliant novel offered a bold critique of French society, delivered one of the most vehement feminist protests in eighteenth-century literature, and announced--fourteen years before Rousseau's Julie, or the New Eloise--the Romantic tradition in French literature.
174 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1747
34 people are currently reading
630 people want to read
About the author
Françoise de Graffigny
116 books5 followersFrançoise de Graffigny, née d'Issembourg Du Buisson d'Happoncourt (11 February 1695 - 12 December 1758), was a French novelist, playwright and salon hostess.
Initially famous as the author of Lettres d'une Péruvienne, a novel published in 1747, she became the world's best-known living woman writer after the success of her sentimental comedy, Cénie, in 1750. Her reputation as a dramatist suffered when her second play at the Comédie-Française, La Fille d'Aristide, was a flop in 1758, and even her novel fell out of favor after 1830. From then until the last third of the twentieth century, she was almost forgotten, but thanks to new scholarship and the interest in women writers generated by the feminist movement, Françoise de Graffigny is now regarded as one of the major French writers of the eighteenth century.
Initially famous as the author of Lettres d'une Péruvienne, a novel published in 1747, she became the world's best-known living woman writer after the success of her sentimental comedy, Cénie, in 1750. Her reputation as a dramatist suffered when her second play at the Comédie-Française, La Fille d'Aristide, was a flop in 1758, and even her novel fell out of favor after 1830. From then until the last third of the twentieth century, she was almost forgotten, but thanks to new scholarship and the interest in women writers generated by the feminist movement, Françoise de Graffigny is now regarded as one of the major French writers of the eighteenth century.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 16, 2021
Am I the only one who didn't read this for a school assignment? Hard to truly review something from 1747, to take in how explosive it probably was. A woman author -- woman protagonist -- criticism of France, the French, & how they treated their woman -- discussion of Peruvians of the time as if they have more to teach us than anyone would want to learn from Europeans...
February 6, 2014
This is probably not a book I would have picked out to read on my own, but I'm very much glad that I had the chance to read it. Letters from a Peruvian Woman tells the story of Zilia, an Incan priestess who is stolen from her home by Spanish conquistadors, promptly switches hands in a French raid, and winds up observiing the vagaries of 18th century French society from her position as an outsider (both as a foreigner and as a woman).
The prose and the style of the book is nothing particularly special. The number of occurrences of "Oh, my dear Aza!" in each chapter is disconcertingly high. Because of the nature of the story, the characters surrounding Zilia remain pretty one-dimensional. The criticisms of Enlightenment France, while probably on point, aren't really all that new or distinctive.
But I'm still giving it four stars because, content-wise, it's really great. It's a surprisingly modern book. Many of of ways in which Zilia feels objectified as a woman are still very present problems for women today. There's also a very sensitive depiction of depression (which, given de Graffigny's biography, I'm afraid may have been from personal experience). I particularly liked how the character's oppression as a foreigner and a woman, and her depression, all stem from the same place: she feels an inability to articulate herself. First in a literal sense due to language barrier, and then in a social sense, Zilia is silenced or idealized in contexts in which she cannot speak. It's almost like a proto-A Room of One's Own, 180-odd years earlier.
The prose and the style of the book is nothing particularly special. The number of occurrences of "Oh, my dear Aza!" in each chapter is disconcertingly high. Because of the nature of the story, the characters surrounding Zilia remain pretty one-dimensional. The criticisms of Enlightenment France, while probably on point, aren't really all that new or distinctive.
But I'm still giving it four stars because, content-wise, it's really great. It's a surprisingly modern book. Many of of ways in which Zilia feels objectified as a woman are still very present problems for women today. There's also a very sensitive depiction of depression (which, given de Graffigny's biography, I'm afraid may have been from personal experience). I particularly liked how the character's oppression as a foreigner and a woman, and her depression, all stem from the same place: she feels an inability to articulate herself. First in a literal sense due to language barrier, and then in a social sense, Zilia is silenced or idealized in contexts in which she cannot speak. It's almost like a proto-A Room of One's Own, 180-odd years earlier.
September 26, 2020
CARTAS DE UNA PERUANA de Madame de Graffigny
"Estoy segura que me alejan de ti; no respiro más el mismo aire, no habito el mismo elemento: ignorarás siempre dónde estoy, si te amo, si existo"
Madame de Graffigny escribió esta obra en 1747, ella fue un personaje muy importante en su época y su libro un éxito total de ventas con 30 ediciones en tan sólo 30 años desde su aparición.
Es una novela epistolar que consta de una advertencia, una introducción histórica y finalmente el cuerpo de la obra que vendría a ser las cartas de Zilia a su prometido.
Muy seguro que la escritora francesa leyó la obra del peruano Inca Garcilazo de la Vega para poder a partir de allí conocer las costumbres de los incas y en base a ello construir una novela epistolar entre dos amantes peruanos. Para ello en su introducción histórica cuenta algunas cosas básicas de la cultura peruana, en su mayoría muy correctas e induce al lector francés de la época a interesarse por esta cultura de la cual Francia ha podido beneficiarse de alguna manera económicamente. Desde luego impregna cierta aparente compasión por la situación de los peruanos y la expropiación y abusos que sufrieron de parte de los españoles.
Ya en las cartas fundamentalmente son de Zilia, una vírgen del Sol, que vendría a ser como una sacerdotisa peruana, quien estando comprometida con Aza, hijo ficticio del último inca, es raptada, saqueado su templo por los españoles y llevada cautiva. Zilia cuenta en sus cartas primeras lo que significó los robos y asesinatos de los conquistadores:
"Los pavimentos del templo ensangrentados, la imagen del Sol pisada, soldados furiosos persiguiendo a nuestras Vírgenes apasionadas y masacrando todo lo que se oponía a su paso"
Posteriormente el barco español donde iba es capturado por uno francés (no comprendí bien ese momento) y conoce al caballero de Déterville quien la llevará cautiva pero se prendará de la pureza de la cautiva peruana. Y a partir de allí empieza una larga descripción de parte de Zilia de todo lo que le va aconteciendo. Desde luego al ponerse la escritora en la piel de una cautiva peruana tuvo que formular e imaginar diversas situaciones que resultan muy atractivas y divertidas. La pureza y el desconocimiento casi total del mundo civilizado europeo hará que su inocencia sea bien descrita a través de sus cartas dirigidas siempre a su amado Aza al cual anhela poder ver pronto.
Desde luego, como peruano, debo decir que hay muchos errores en creencias y costumbres peruanas y desde luego una gran "ficción" en la manera de expresarse de Zilia, ella desde luego pronto se expresa de forma muy "francesa" y es imposible pensar que algún peruano de aquella época pueda tener pensamientos tan complejos o manera de expresarse tan depurada. Pero es que Madame de Graffigny quiso con esta obra aparte de crear una interesante ficción poder criticar la sociedad de su época. Cuando Zilia habla de las malas costumbres de los franceses, su afectación y su errada educación desde luego es la misma autora quizás un poco apocada cuando llegó ella misma a París:
"Algunos tienen el aire pensativo; pero en general supongo a esta nación no ser lo que parece; la afectación me parece su carácter dominante"
Y esta crítica social es bastante depurada, no sólo habla de los aristócratas o de la vanidad parisina, también de la situación de la mujer, de los conventos y las injusticias de la que es parte. Es una obra por supuesto que se adelanta a su época siendo éste un objetivo principal de la autora.
El amor que siente Zilia es bastante puro y sus sentimientos honestos y fieles. Las cartas están impregnadas del sentimiento de virtud de la época y eso se puede ver a lo largo de toda la obra.
Para el lector moderno sin duda puede ser bastante aburrido leer esta novela epistolar por la moral predominante de la época y por el estilo epistolar en la cual se repiten patrones y los sentimientos se repiten de manera sistemática, pero particularmente sí fueron de mi gusto muchas frases.
"Estoy segura que me alejan de ti; no respiro más el mismo aire, no habito el mismo elemento: ignorarás siempre dónde estoy, si te amo, si existo"
Madame de Graffigny escribió esta obra en 1747, ella fue un personaje muy importante en su época y su libro un éxito total de ventas con 30 ediciones en tan sólo 30 años desde su aparición.
Es una novela epistolar que consta de una advertencia, una introducción histórica y finalmente el cuerpo de la obra que vendría a ser las cartas de Zilia a su prometido.
Muy seguro que la escritora francesa leyó la obra del peruano Inca Garcilazo de la Vega para poder a partir de allí conocer las costumbres de los incas y en base a ello construir una novela epistolar entre dos amantes peruanos. Para ello en su introducción histórica cuenta algunas cosas básicas de la cultura peruana, en su mayoría muy correctas e induce al lector francés de la época a interesarse por esta cultura de la cual Francia ha podido beneficiarse de alguna manera económicamente. Desde luego impregna cierta aparente compasión por la situación de los peruanos y la expropiación y abusos que sufrieron de parte de los españoles.
Ya en las cartas fundamentalmente son de Zilia, una vírgen del Sol, que vendría a ser como una sacerdotisa peruana, quien estando comprometida con Aza, hijo ficticio del último inca, es raptada, saqueado su templo por los españoles y llevada cautiva. Zilia cuenta en sus cartas primeras lo que significó los robos y asesinatos de los conquistadores:
"Los pavimentos del templo ensangrentados, la imagen del Sol pisada, soldados furiosos persiguiendo a nuestras Vírgenes apasionadas y masacrando todo lo que se oponía a su paso"
Posteriormente el barco español donde iba es capturado por uno francés (no comprendí bien ese momento) y conoce al caballero de Déterville quien la llevará cautiva pero se prendará de la pureza de la cautiva peruana. Y a partir de allí empieza una larga descripción de parte de Zilia de todo lo que le va aconteciendo. Desde luego al ponerse la escritora en la piel de una cautiva peruana tuvo que formular e imaginar diversas situaciones que resultan muy atractivas y divertidas. La pureza y el desconocimiento casi total del mundo civilizado europeo hará que su inocencia sea bien descrita a través de sus cartas dirigidas siempre a su amado Aza al cual anhela poder ver pronto.
Desde luego, como peruano, debo decir que hay muchos errores en creencias y costumbres peruanas y desde luego una gran "ficción" en la manera de expresarse de Zilia, ella desde luego pronto se expresa de forma muy "francesa" y es imposible pensar que algún peruano de aquella época pueda tener pensamientos tan complejos o manera de expresarse tan depurada. Pero es que Madame de Graffigny quiso con esta obra aparte de crear una interesante ficción poder criticar la sociedad de su época. Cuando Zilia habla de las malas costumbres de los franceses, su afectación y su errada educación desde luego es la misma autora quizás un poco apocada cuando llegó ella misma a París:
"Algunos tienen el aire pensativo; pero en general supongo a esta nación no ser lo que parece; la afectación me parece su carácter dominante"
Y esta crítica social es bastante depurada, no sólo habla de los aristócratas o de la vanidad parisina, también de la situación de la mujer, de los conventos y las injusticias de la que es parte. Es una obra por supuesto que se adelanta a su época siendo éste un objetivo principal de la autora.
El amor que siente Zilia es bastante puro y sus sentimientos honestos y fieles. Las cartas están impregnadas del sentimiento de virtud de la época y eso se puede ver a lo largo de toda la obra.
Para el lector moderno sin duda puede ser bastante aburrido leer esta novela epistolar por la moral predominante de la época y por el estilo epistolar en la cual se repiten patrones y los sentimientos se repiten de manera sistemática, pero particularmente sí fueron de mi gusto muchas frases.
August 1, 2015
Loved the book and its charming heroine. The ending was awesome!
March 2, 2017
"Your tone, your eyes, and my heart all seduce me, but perhaps it is only to plunge me back down still more cruelly into the despair from which I am emerging."
This is absolutely something I never would have picked up on my own. In fact, the cover (it's really bad, guys) made me incredibly nervous to read it, and the fact that it was for a class compounded those nerves. I thought this was going to be boring. My expectations were so low.
It was magnificent. The writing is fantastic, and the story is authentic and original, subverting tropes that had reigned at the date of its publication. I know the ending is controversial among readers (and I'm referring specifically to current readers, not eighteenth century readers) but having the historical background on the literary tropes of the time, understanding Graffigny's own personal history, and all the things that affected this novel's inception--it's very difficult to hate the ending. This is especially true when one puts aside her own romantic ideals and sees the work for what it is: a feminist critique of French society.
The point of the book was not the romance. As much as the proclamation of love in this book reminded me of the one in Pride and Prejudice, I had to come to grips with the fact that this is not a Jane Austen novel. Indeed, knowing the historical context and the author's personal history was largely the reason I fell so hard for this book (beautiful writing aside).
Graffigny had a history of tumultuous relationships with men; her first husband was a drunkard and an abuser. Her acquisition of legal separation from him occurred after six years of marriage and the loss of three children who did not survive infancy. At this point, she was in grave financial straits and lived under the protection of the ducal court. There, she began a love affair and was again abandoned after spending more than ten years with the guy. It was after this that she moved to Paris and began to write. This novel was a huge success of her time, critiquing French culture and subverting the sexist tropes of the epistolary novel genre. Finally she was able to achieve the sort of legal independence that she had not known; she could support herself financially, in spite of the unfair disadvantages (the very ones she critiqued in Letters from a Peruvian Woman) that affected her as a French woman.
Knowing all of that and much more, it is so simple to get why this book ends the way it does, and to love it all the more. And even if one is so put off by the ending that she abhors this book, she cannot deny it this sentiment: This book is quality. There are certain things which certainly warrant criticism (for example, the detail in her first letters which she went back and translated from her quipus to French is one of them--can the quipus really express the abstractions presented in those letters or are we to believe that Zilia embellished afterward? Are those letters reliable sources of information then, as memory is subject to corruption?). However, this book's purpose was executed admirably and effectively.
Now, let me get into the writing. It's so beautiful, guys! (Side note: Proceed with caution, as there are mild spoilers ahead.)
My strange fate has robbed me of everything down to the pleasure that the unfortunate take in recounting their troubles. We believe ourselves to be receiving sympathy when we are heard, a portion of our pain flashes across the faces of those who listen to us, and, for whatever reason, this seems to comfort us. I cannot make myself understood, and good cheer is all about me.
Everything in this novel has a cadence to it that holds true throughout. It's so smooth and pleasant to the ears. It also provides interesting commentary on random parts of humanity from the odd comforts of sympathy (above) to the shame of a thwarted suicide attempt (below).
How cruel is calm reflection after an outburst of madness! How different is one’s perspective on the same objects! Gripped by the horror of despair, one takes savagery for courage and fear of suffering for resoluteness. Should a word, a glance, a surprise bring us back to ourselves, we find only weakness as the principle behind our heroism, repentance the only fruit of our labors, and scorn the only reward.
And can we just taught about everything concerning Déterville?
The fire of his eyes recalls the image of that fire I saw in yours, and the similarities I find in them seduce my heart.
As pathetic as some of his actions were when it came to Zilia, I couldn't help but love him. He's adorable. I mean...
"I know you are not trying to deceive me, but please explain to me what meaning you attach to those charming words 'I love you.' Let my fate be decided so that I might die at your feet of agony or of ecstasy."
Zilia, too, was a lovely character. She was such a good heroine, always taking the high road.
I...hope that one day your generosity will put me in a position to compensate those who humiliate me in spite of myself through acts of kindness by which I thought myself to be honored.
And she was so true to herself and her motivations; that is why I loved the ending so much--it was so very like her.
Céline's anger, her brother's despair, and his last words, to which I wanted but dared not ascribe a favorable meaning, each in turn delivered my soul over to the cruelest anxieties.
And Céline! I loved her, as well, even when she mistreated Zilia. There is one thing I am absolutely powerless against in novels: A situation presents itself in which every character is absolutely miserable and heartsick and, although they torment one another, their actions and feelings are all completely valid from every side. THIS HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK AND I DIED. It was so well done.
Now I cannot help but think with a kind of contempt for myself that I am making unhappy two people to whom I owe my life, that I am upsetting the tranquility they would be enjoying without me, that I am causing them all the harm it is in my power to cause, yet neither can nor want to cease being criminal.
Another highlight was the two letters in which Graffigny critiques the French male treatment of women...
A man of the highest rank owes consideration to a woman of the basest possible standing. He would bring shame and what is called ridicule upon himself were he to make her any personal insult. Yet the least significant, least admired man can mislead and betray a woman of equality, blacken her reputation with slander, and have no fear of receiving blame or punishment.
This was, of course, where I was beginning to think that things were getting incredibly personal for Graffigny. She does go into depth about the social disadvantages women were subject to in France and, as predicted, discusses domestic abuse. Knowing her personal history, this was particularly moving. However, the whole point of having an outsider critique French culture seems to be because she is from the outside and is thusly objective--a clean slate. With the knowledge of Graffigny's personal history, the novelty of an objective narrator was lost entirely in the abyss of Graffigny's own clear bias. Obviously that is not to say she is incorrect in her critiques. However, the pointed nature of these letters made it seem more like Graffigny herself were writing them, and not Zilia.
Those of higher status are the playthings of the seduction and wickedness of men and receive as compensation for being betrayed by them only the surface appearance of a purely imaginary respect, invariably followed by the most mordant satire.
Overall, though, the writing is fantastic. This is an absolute masterpiece. I am truly perplexed as to why this novel got such a low rating; I assume they graded it on their own preference and not the book's inherent quality. I mean...
Maladies of the soul do not suffer violent remedies.
What even is that? That is exquisite!
Anyway, this was wonderful. That last letter is so incredible and is absolutely overflowing with so many quotes I'd love to include but won't, for the sake of preserving the experience of reading it yourself. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a quality book that breaks tradition and encompasses feminist themes. Also, the romance. The discussions of love are absolutely breathtaking. Aaaand I'm off topic yet again. Thanks so much for wasting your life reading me sing the praises of this masterpiece!
This is absolutely something I never would have picked up on my own. In fact, the cover (it's really bad, guys) made me incredibly nervous to read it, and the fact that it was for a class compounded those nerves. I thought this was going to be boring. My expectations were so low.
It was magnificent. The writing is fantastic, and the story is authentic and original, subverting tropes that had reigned at the date of its publication. I know the ending is controversial among readers (and I'm referring specifically to current readers, not eighteenth century readers) but having the historical background on the literary tropes of the time, understanding Graffigny's own personal history, and all the things that affected this novel's inception--it's very difficult to hate the ending. This is especially true when one puts aside her own romantic ideals and sees the work for what it is: a feminist critique of French society.
The point of the book was not the romance. As much as the proclamation of love in this book reminded me of the one in Pride and Prejudice, I had to come to grips with the fact that this is not a Jane Austen novel. Indeed, knowing the historical context and the author's personal history was largely the reason I fell so hard for this book (beautiful writing aside).
Graffigny had a history of tumultuous relationships with men; her first husband was a drunkard and an abuser. Her acquisition of legal separation from him occurred after six years of marriage and the loss of three children who did not survive infancy. At this point, she was in grave financial straits and lived under the protection of the ducal court. There, she began a love affair and was again abandoned after spending more than ten years with the guy. It was after this that she moved to Paris and began to write. This novel was a huge success of her time, critiquing French culture and subverting the sexist tropes of the epistolary novel genre. Finally she was able to achieve the sort of legal independence that she had not known; she could support herself financially, in spite of the unfair disadvantages (the very ones she critiqued in Letters from a Peruvian Woman) that affected her as a French woman.
Knowing all of that and much more, it is so simple to get why this book ends the way it does, and to love it all the more. And even if one is so put off by the ending that she abhors this book, she cannot deny it this sentiment: This book is quality. There are certain things which certainly warrant criticism (for example, the detail in her first letters which she went back and translated from her quipus to French is one of them--can the quipus really express the abstractions presented in those letters or are we to believe that Zilia embellished afterward? Are those letters reliable sources of information then, as memory is subject to corruption?). However, this book's purpose was executed admirably and effectively.
Now, let me get into the writing. It's so beautiful, guys! (Side note: Proceed with caution, as there are mild spoilers ahead.)
My strange fate has robbed me of everything down to the pleasure that the unfortunate take in recounting their troubles. We believe ourselves to be receiving sympathy when we are heard, a portion of our pain flashes across the faces of those who listen to us, and, for whatever reason, this seems to comfort us. I cannot make myself understood, and good cheer is all about me.
Everything in this novel has a cadence to it that holds true throughout. It's so smooth and pleasant to the ears. It also provides interesting commentary on random parts of humanity from the odd comforts of sympathy (above) to the shame of a thwarted suicide attempt (below).
How cruel is calm reflection after an outburst of madness! How different is one’s perspective on the same objects! Gripped by the horror of despair, one takes savagery for courage and fear of suffering for resoluteness. Should a word, a glance, a surprise bring us back to ourselves, we find only weakness as the principle behind our heroism, repentance the only fruit of our labors, and scorn the only reward.
And can we just taught about everything concerning Déterville?
The fire of his eyes recalls the image of that fire I saw in yours, and the similarities I find in them seduce my heart.
As pathetic as some of his actions were when it came to Zilia, I couldn't help but love him. He's adorable. I mean...
"I know you are not trying to deceive me, but please explain to me what meaning you attach to those charming words 'I love you.' Let my fate be decided so that I might die at your feet of agony or of ecstasy."
Zilia, too, was a lovely character. She was such a good heroine, always taking the high road.
I...hope that one day your generosity will put me in a position to compensate those who humiliate me in spite of myself through acts of kindness by which I thought myself to be honored.
And she was so true to herself and her motivations; that is why I loved the ending so much--it was so very like her.
Céline's anger, her brother's despair, and his last words, to which I wanted but dared not ascribe a favorable meaning, each in turn delivered my soul over to the cruelest anxieties.
And Céline! I loved her, as well, even when she mistreated Zilia. There is one thing I am absolutely powerless against in novels: A situation presents itself in which every character is absolutely miserable and heartsick and, although they torment one another, their actions and feelings are all completely valid from every side. THIS HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK AND I DIED. It was so well done.
Now I cannot help but think with a kind of contempt for myself that I am making unhappy two people to whom I owe my life, that I am upsetting the tranquility they would be enjoying without me, that I am causing them all the harm it is in my power to cause, yet neither can nor want to cease being criminal.
Another highlight was the two letters in which Graffigny critiques the French male treatment of women...
A man of the highest rank owes consideration to a woman of the basest possible standing. He would bring shame and what is called ridicule upon himself were he to make her any personal insult. Yet the least significant, least admired man can mislead and betray a woman of equality, blacken her reputation with slander, and have no fear of receiving blame or punishment.
This was, of course, where I was beginning to think that things were getting incredibly personal for Graffigny. She does go into depth about the social disadvantages women were subject to in France and, as predicted, discusses domestic abuse. Knowing her personal history, this was particularly moving. However, the whole point of having an outsider critique French culture seems to be because she is from the outside and is thusly objective--a clean slate. With the knowledge of Graffigny's personal history, the novelty of an objective narrator was lost entirely in the abyss of Graffigny's own clear bias. Obviously that is not to say she is incorrect in her critiques. However, the pointed nature of these letters made it seem more like Graffigny herself were writing them, and not Zilia.
Those of higher status are the playthings of the seduction and wickedness of men and receive as compensation for being betrayed by them only the surface appearance of a purely imaginary respect, invariably followed by the most mordant satire.
Overall, though, the writing is fantastic. This is an absolute masterpiece. I am truly perplexed as to why this novel got such a low rating; I assume they graded it on their own preference and not the book's inherent quality. I mean...
Maladies of the soul do not suffer violent remedies.
What even is that? That is exquisite!
Anyway, this was wonderful. That last letter is so incredible and is absolutely overflowing with so many quotes I'd love to include but won't, for the sake of preserving the experience of reading it yourself. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a quality book that breaks tradition and encompasses feminist themes. Also, the romance. The discussions of love are absolutely breathtaking. Aaaand I'm off topic yet again. Thanks so much for wasting your life reading me sing the praises of this masterpiece!
March 12, 2024
4,5
j'ai été très agréablement surprise par ce classique !! c'était rapide et prenant (+ men are trash)
j'ai été très agréablement surprise par ce classique !! c'était rapide et prenant (+ men are trash)
September 21, 2023
This was so good and for what? Like wow one of my favorite things I’ve read for school?
October 17, 2021
I read this book for my French Feminist Theory class! It was written in the 1700s, and it was one of the most popular books during that time. It feels super weird to me to give a rating to this book? But I did enjoy it, and I think Graffigny expresses a lot the hypocrisies of French society in a really interesting way. **3.5 stars**
June 9, 2022
podczas czytania czulam sie troche jak studentka i feministka z francji, chociaz chyba tak nie powinno byc i w ogole wydaje mi sie ze cala ta ksiazke zle interpretuje. niektore kawalki musialam po prostu omijac bo nie moglam zniesc tej toksycznosci chowajacej sie za slowami w listach. wzruszylam sie tym, jak bardzo zilia byla naiwna a jednoczesnie madra, szkoda, ze ostatnie strony nie zostaly jakos bardziej rozwiniete
October 12, 2021
though her prose was beautiful, there is just so much incredibly incorrect information about incan culture within this novel… i think it’s a wonderful book to understand how reductive colonial perspectives impact how we see cultures of color because it was just so condescending and wrong. like, the assumption that incans didn’t have mirrors… or couldn’t otherwise recognize their reflection…
i am interested in reading more of graffigny’s work, but it’ll definitely be something european and not a gross production of a culture she never even experienced.
i am interested in reading more of graffigny’s work, but it’ll definitely be something european and not a gross production of a culture she never even experienced.
May 28, 2021
pretty cool to imagine reading this in 1747, and by a woman! not to discount its originality or particular place in literature by any means...
December 30, 2024
Hoewel ze echt de grootste simp is die papier ooit heeft gekend, is het wel degelijk een feministische roman voor zijn tijdsgeest! Jammer dat Zilia zo naïef wordt neergezet, moest echt niet elke brief benadrukt worden. Maaaar:
ik heb genoten van het verhaal :)
ik heb genoten van het verhaal :)
December 3, 2019
An easy read that brings back to the Spaniard Invasion in Peru (Incan Empire). Zilia- the daughter of the sun (as I remember) wrote to his lover, Aza, while being transported to France. An 18th century book, written by Mlle Grafiggny in critique of French culture. She made a fictional character of an ‘outsider’ and began to assimilate to the French lifestyle by the help of an aristocrat. Luxury (etymology: Old French-luxurie=lust) became one of the theme. The term capitalism was not coined at that time. Good read and this once (just like Robinson Crusoe) used to be famous century ago and stopped its popularity. It may be because the character is not superior enough, and is anti-colonialism. Observe how she mentions the word ‘savage’ ‘barbarous’ a couple time. The term used in the 15th-18th century from when Columbus stepped foot to New America- to Amerindians. There seems to be an inversion. Good read. I enjoyed it!
February 26, 2019
Aunque he de decir que me enfrenté a este libro con cierta desgana, al final me ha terminado sorprendiendo (y para bien). Es cierto que, a veces, la lectura puede hacerse algo cuesta arriba (sobre todo por el lenguaje empleado y las largas descripciones de las que se vale la protagonista), pero, personalmente, he encontrado sumamente fascinante cómo Zilia descubre, poco a poco, un nuevo mundo que le era totalmente desconocido y cómo eso le permite cambiar su modo de ver la realidad que la rodea. Su relato te permite ver el descubrimiento de las Américas desde una perspectiva completamente diferente a la que solemos estar acostumbrados.
April 3, 2024
Prose is beautiful, and the moral of the story is to prioritize platonic friendships because men are…men. (I’m being so serious). Interesting to read but at times annoying in how cloying it can be. (3.5)
November 26, 2012
Anytime I decided to doubt the need for feminism I will read letter 34.
September 11, 2016
Loved this book. I'm really enjoying this style of writing in the form of letters or diaries. This is a fantastic story.
September 27, 2020
Ughhhhhhh. that's all.
February 13, 2025
Hmm, having just finished one 18th C epistolary book ("Werther") in translation, this title sounded interesting. Kind of odd, while the text itself is short (about 115 pp) it took some time to get through this. Not sure why.
Written by a French woman, Françoise de Graffigny, in a period where "Letters from" by "foreign" visitors were popular. Showing off the good and the bad of French/European cultures, by comparing it to other, non-European, cultures. Montesquieu's "Persian Letters" is cited here in the Notes quite often.
Jonathan Mallinson provides a wonderful Introduction to the work, explaining why it has become a required read centuries later. I do think he ignores Zilia centering her life, and future, around her fiance (and brother?) Aza. And while Peruvians were going through a period of being admired for having a superior culture (thanks in part to the popularity of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega's 2 volume "History of the Incas" [in the original, "Comentarios Reales de los Incas" and "La historia general del Perú"] - thank you Wikipedia), nowhere does Mallinson speak of the "Noble Savage" influence in French (and American) 18th C writing. It is also a bit odd that the reason this work is read and admired today is because of de Graffigny's letters in here (added to the 1752 edition of the 1747 work) deploring the treatment/lack of education of women in France, making it an early feminist text. Yet we have a man writing the Introduction (well, I guess he earned it - he did do the translation). He also nicely adds some excerpts at the end from a couple of books that influenced de Graffigny, and a couple "continuations" by other writers of this popular work whiuch were published later (adding a "happy" ending).
I am not sure who to recommend this work to - since my youth I have had an interest in travelogues/adventures of The New World (this kind of fits into that) and 18th C political philosophy.
4 out of 5.
Written by a French woman, Françoise de Graffigny, in a period where "Letters from" by "foreign" visitors were popular. Showing off the good and the bad of French/European cultures, by comparing it to other, non-European, cultures. Montesquieu's "Persian Letters" is cited here in the Notes quite often.
Jonathan Mallinson provides a wonderful Introduction to the work, explaining why it has become a required read centuries later. I do think he ignores Zilia centering her life, and future, around her fiance (and brother?) Aza. And while Peruvians were going through a period of being admired for having a superior culture (thanks in part to the popularity of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega's 2 volume "History of the Incas" [in the original, "Comentarios Reales de los Incas" and "La historia general del Perú"] - thank you Wikipedia), nowhere does Mallinson speak of the "Noble Savage" influence in French (and American) 18th C writing. It is also a bit odd that the reason this work is read and admired today is because of de Graffigny's letters in here (added to the 1752 edition of the 1747 work) deploring the treatment/lack of education of women in France, making it an early feminist text. Yet we have a man writing the Introduction (well, I guess he earned it - he did do the translation). He also nicely adds some excerpts at the end from a couple of books that influenced de Graffigny, and a couple "continuations" by other writers of this popular work whiuch were published later (adding a "happy" ending).
I am not sure who to recommend this work to - since my youth I have had an interest in travelogues/adventures of The New World (this kind of fits into that) and 18th C political philosophy.
4 out of 5.
October 2, 2023
If I had read this book this back in 1747, I would have been EATING IT UP, but Letters from a Peruvian Woman stumbles quite a bit when put under a 21st century lens. Graffigny was extremely progressive in terms of women's rights (what a girlboss), but ultimately, her fetishization of the Incan people made me grimace a few too many times whilst reading this novel. I don't hold it against Graffigny, though. This book (and the woman who wrote it) were products of their time, for better or for worse, and she really is trying to be emphatic in the only way she knows how.
I'd recommend Letters from a Peruvian Woman if you're interested in learning about Enlightenment thought, and NOT AT ALL if you're interested in learning about Incan culture.
I'd recommend Letters from a Peruvian Woman if you're interested in learning about Enlightenment thought, and NOT AT ALL if you're interested in learning about Incan culture.
February 27, 2024
“Does one lifetime suffice to gain a superficial yet interesting acquaintance with the universe, my surroundings, my own existence?”
I had to read this for a class on Love in Modern Literature and I loved it so much. The main character is so aware and so full of love and intelligence my heart actually hurt at the end. I really didn’t like Déterville and I’m glad that Zilia recognizes and denounces the way he takes advantage of her innocence. It was so interesting to see how she explores her agency within the structures of Western society that confine her. It’s a really telling snapshot of the time and was a fun read!
I had to read this for a class on Love in Modern Literature and I loved it so much. The main character is so aware and so full of love and intelligence my heart actually hurt at the end. I really didn’t like Déterville and I’m glad that Zilia recognizes and denounces the way he takes advantage of her innocence. It was so interesting to see how she explores her agency within the structures of Western society that confine her. It’s a really telling snapshot of the time and was a fun read!
July 18, 2023
En commençant le livre j’ai cru me lancer dans quelque chose de plus radical et novateur que ce qu’il s’est avéré être (je trouve quand même que les notes de l’édition sont un peu dures avec la pauvre françoise en rappelant constamment qu’elle était “modérée” et que “d’autres auteurs disaient la même chose à l’époque” LIKE LET HER BEEEEEE) mais ça reste super intéressant et certains points d’analyse restent assez pertinents malgré les 350 ans qui se sont écoulés.
March 14, 2022
ignoring all the cultural inaccuracies about the incans (like seriously, how could quipus hold all this wordy prose?? how could zilia hide the giant quipus from the others for so long???), this book is wonderful. such rich writing! interesting plot and eloquent critique on french society during the 18th century interlaced with heart and candor
September 28, 2023
4/5 étoiles
Indéniablement ethnocentrique, mais cela ouvre un second niveau à la lecture d'un point de vue moderne (le lectorat peut, comme Zilia, poser un regard critique sur la société française dépeinte par le livre)
Très bien écrit aussi
Et des réflexions intéressante sur l'écriture au féminin
Indéniablement ethnocentrique, mais cela ouvre un second niveau à la lecture d'un point de vue moderne (le lectorat peut, comme Zilia, poser un regard critique sur la société française dépeinte par le livre)
Très bien écrit aussi
Et des réflexions intéressante sur l'écriture au féminin
February 11, 2024
I read this in French (as god intended) so I can be pretentious about it. SO MANY MIXED FEELS. I love Zilia and she is so real, but I don’t love French colonialism. Powerful read, Graffigny was ahead of her time.
Read
September 28, 2021love an epistolary tale
Read
November 27, 2022this literally could have (and should have) been 10 pages
February 1, 2023
franchement super, bien mieux que les lettres persanes à mon humble avis
March 7, 2023
Pocahontas is based on this. And this is way way better.
April 20, 2023
"Mais dussions-nous être séparés par les espaces immenses qu’habitent les enfans du Soleil, le nuage leger de mes pensées volera sans cesse autour de toi."
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