8 /10 1 Votes
4.2/5 Goodreads Language French OCLC 49529621 | 3.8/5 Babelio Country Belgium Originally published 2002 ISBN 9782246631514 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Awards 2003 : Prix triennal du roman de la Communauté française de Belgique Similar La Plage d'Ostende, I Who Have Never Known M, La femme de Gilles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
La Dormition des amants is a Belgian novel written by Jacqueline Harpman. It was first published through Éditions Grasset in 2002. It won the Prix triennal du roman of the French Community of Belgium in 2003.
Plot
This is an historical novel set in the seventeenth-century. Maria Concepcion (queen presumptive) is the daughter of King Carlos of Spain Carlos. While she is trained for ascendency, Maria treats her small castrated slave, Girolamo, with great compassion and he gradually becomes her playmate and confidant. Together, they learn to read and write, and science.
In 1610, Henri IV was assassinated by Ravaillac. Édouard (a fictional king invented by the author) ascends the throne. Maria is to marry Édouard and become the queen of France. Girolamo comes with Maria to France and are inseparable; he even sleeps in a room next to that of the Queen. But their love is only platonic and can never become carnal.
Here we find a little myth of Tristan and Isolde.