The Versailles Fairies

For the first time in Russian, a hard-hitting and stunning novel, full of intrigue, magic, and revelations, consisting of stories within stories, often well-known but filled with fresh and provocative meanings, perfectly suited for fans of Jenny Offill, Italo Calvino, and Angela Carter. France during the reign of the Sun King. Far from the intrigues, bullying, and debauchery of Versailles, a cozy Parisian salon gathers society ladies who… tell each other old tales, adding a bit of their own lives to them. Thus, the celebrated genre is born, which the salon's hostess, Marie d'Onoy, will call "fairy tales." Marie has a complicated fate: in childhood, she was given in marriage to a cruel old baron, and then, after a terrible scandal, she was imprisoned. But later, remarkably, she was allowed to return to respectable society and open her salon in the very heart of the capital. The famous Charles Perrault drops by. His influence at court is lost, his beloved wife has died, and what else can he do but tell tales to demanding listeners? However, the trusting atmosphere of the salon is not to the liking of the authorities (or perhaps even the king himself?), and they send a spy there…

"The Versailles Fairies" — a rare opportunity:

— to visit a real literary salon of the 17th century and see that every fairy tale contains a deep hidden meaning;

— to admire the beauty, luxury, and unsanitary conditions of Versailles, while marveling at the depravity of the morals prevailing there;

— to learn how the fates of the king's illegitimate children unfolded, while also being horrified by their number;

— to confirm that gallant French nobles treated their wives no better than dock workers;

— to witness an execution and assess the degree of danger that threatens anyone daring to express sincere feelings.

This elegantly designed book will not leave fans of historical romantic novels indifferent, created with an awareness of the trends of the postmodern era.