SKU: 41066516760

"Madame De" 1954 VILMORIN, Louise de (SOLD)

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"Madame De" 1954 VILMORIN, Louise de (SOLD)VILMORIN, Louise de [54] pp. Julian Messner, Inc. 1954 6 3 4" x 8 1 2" Drawings by Ian Ribbons VG VG A society woman in Paris sells her jewels, a gift from her husband, to pay debts. The buyer informs the husband, the husband buys them back and gives them to his mistress. The mistress sells them and they come back to the original woman via an admirer. THE story of the earrings of Madame de begins with this observation: "Elegance rather than beauty was

VILMORIN, Louise de

[54] pp.

Julian Messner, Inc.

1954

6 3/4" x 8 1/2"

Drawings by Ian Ribbons

VG/ VG

A society woman in Paris sells her jewels, a gift from her husband, to pay debts. The buyer informs the husband, the husband buys them back and gives them to his mistress. The mistress sells them and they come back to the original woman via an admirer.

THE story of the earrings of Madame de- begins with this observation: "Elegance rather than beauty was accorded the mark of merit in the circle of society to which Madame de- belonged." American readers who break into that charmed circle will no doubt agree that Madame de- was the most elegant of all women. Her manners were faultless, and her sensibilities exquisite. She deceived her husband like a lady, and he understood and forgave her like a true man of the world. Even her anonymity distinguished her: the author explains she wrote the book so quickly she had no time to give the heroine more than the dangling particle de.

Quickly written or not, Louise de Vilmorin's novelette is a perfect drawing room fable—a real jewel, as one of the characters might say in highest praise. And though the jewel is precious, it was cut with a rare economy of means. A complex story (recently made into a French movie) is told here in fifty-four pages of uncomplicated writing.

The theme of “Madame de” is deception: the web of falsehoods in which a fashionable woman can be caught, and drawn to tragedy. Madame de- cannot resist telling her rich and generous husband that her dresses cost half of what they actually did cost her. So to pay her debts she sells the heart-shaped diamond earrings which were a wedding present from Monsieur de- and pretends to lose them at a ball. The family jeweler who bought them believing Monsieur de- had some private money troubles suddenly finds himself in possession of jewels believed to have been stolen. He takes them to Monsieur de who buys them for the second time. Saddened by his wife's pretense, and the injury done his good name, he gives them to a mistress.

Before Moniseur de- is through he buys the earrings back three times, and they change hands on ten increasingly elaborate occasions Madame de- suffers at each exchange, until, abandoned by her ambassador-lover, she dies of sadness and pneumonia.

TRUE to Gallic tradition, both her husband and her lover are present for the deathbed scene, when her two hands gently open and disclose a diamond heart in each, “It was as though she had meant to give them away and she cared not to whom.

"'She is dead,' said Monsieur de-. 'Take this heart which she has given you, The other is her own. I will take charge of it.'

"Monsieur de- laid the other heart on the heart of his wife and then sent for the old nurse. Forthwith, the room was full of the rustle of skirts and the sound of wailing. The candles which had so often lit up her dinner parties now shone round her deathbed. Monsieur de- sent for his tailor, and, without telling him the reason, ordered some suits of mourning."

Madame de Vilmorin is at her best in this airy fantasy of manners. Her novel “Julietta” suggest that she is less gifted for bigger books; characterizations which seemed delightfully transparent in “Madame de” become opaque in a longer novel.

The least successful of these characters is the adolescent heroine, Julietta, who "spent her life in a world of her own invention." Escaping from her mother (a bourgeois lady) and her 54-year-old fiancé (a prince), Julietta takes refuge in the attic of Landrecourt (an intellectual). Here, she invents a world of her own so splendid that Landrecourt is dazzled and won—though his mistress-Rosie's exasperation with these goings-on deserves the reader's sympathy. In fact, the portrait of Rosie, in all her high-toned frivolity, is both the triumph and the symbol of Louise de Vilmorin's art.

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SKU: 41066516760

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Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 4
Good pillows
Color: Cooling Blue Cover, Size: Queen (Pack of 2)
Takes some getting used to but and the cooling doesn’t last very long in my opinion, but overall amazing comfy pillows. The materials are good and are washable. I mostly stopped waking up with a stiff neck and back.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2026
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Jonathan
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
Believe the Reviews
Color: Cooling Blue Cover, Size: King (Pack of 2)
I purchased these pillows because we were in need of new pillows, I previously had allswell pillows which were from walmart and they were good to start but now they tragically became very sparse and it started to effect my sleep so I saw these after careful review on other pillows and reviews I came across these and I saw some reviews and videos and I ordered them.. first they are king size we ordered they are perfect for the bed, they are plump and soft, they are memory foam which has always worked out for me for support and kept it’s shape these are great it did have a little smell I guess from packaging but other than that they are a huge upgrade from what we had before! I’m excited because they are cooling too! for the price point can’t beat it and this is coming from someone who was about to spend money on a purple pillow this will be good for now definitely buy it.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2026
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PilarC
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 3
Inconsistent
Color: Cooling Blue Cover, Size: Queen (Pack of 2)
Ive ordered two different batches of these pillows, the first was a 2 pack, the second batch was a 4 pack. The pillows that came in the 2 pack have a different quality to them. The memory foam feels thicker, takes long to depress and to spring back to form. It offers more resistance, a heavier odor (at the start), and was the pillow that I fell in love with. Things changed when I ordered the 4 pack a couple months later. There was an inconsistency between the foam in these two different batches. both sets of pillows are comfortable. The first batch being firmer means I had to remove more foam before it became comfortable but the 2nd batch being more springy, I was able to keep all the foam inside. I docked a couple stars because I’m not able to provide a consistent experience with these pillows across all three beds in my home. If you need a pillow, order a set and be happy. If you want a bunch of memory foam pillows throughout your house, maybe look elsewhere as these may not all be identical.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2026
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Mari
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Very cool and comfortable pillows. Great value.
Color: Cooling Blue Cover, Size: Queen (Pack of 2)
These pillows are everything described on the site. They do retain shape and don’t flatten out after sleeping all night. They are nice and clean looking and comfortable. The fit on my king size bed is perfect cause I prefer the size to king size. Haven’t had to wash them yet but I have had other pillows with the same material inside and the wash ability is great.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2026
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Joe
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 5
Great pillow
Color: Cooling Blue Cover, Size: Queen (Pack of 2)
The pillows feel great. Being able to remove portions of the interior allowed me and my wife to have a perfect fit. They do stay cool which seems to have helped with my restlessness.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2026

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