Manon Lescaut

The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut (French: Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux, et de Manon Lescaut [istwaʁ dy ʃ(ə)valje de ɡʁijø e d(ə) manɔ̃ lɛsko]) is a novel by Antoine François Prévost. It tells a tragic love story about a nobleman (known only as the Chevalier des Grieux) and a common woman (Manon Lescaut). Their decision to live together without marriage is the start of a moral decline that also leads to gambling, fraud, theft, murder, and Manon's death as a deportee in New Orleans. The novel is regarded as a classic, and is the most reprinted novel in French literature, with over 250 editions.

The story was first published in 1731 as the final volume of Prévost's serial novel Memoirs and Adventures of a Man of Quality (French: Mémoires et aventures d'un homme de qualité). In 1733, all copies for sale in Paris were seized due to the volume's morally questionable content. This effective ban contributed to an increase in popularity, prompting unauthorized reprints. In 1753, Prévost published Manon Lescaut as a revised standalone book, which is now the most commonly reprinted version.

The novel was unusual for depicting Paris's "low life" and for discussing the lovers' money problems in numerical detail: both choices contribute to its realism and its aura of scandal. Over the centuries, audiences have judged Manon differently. Eighteenth-century audiences saw her as an unworthy figure who inspired pity due to the sincerity of her love. Nineteenth-century responses saw her as a nearly mythological sex symbol, either a femme fatale who corrupts des Grieux or a hooker with a heart of gold. Today, scholars tend to see Manon as a victim of broader social forces, who is misrepresented by des Grieux's narration of her experience.

Manon Lescaut has had dozens of adaptations into plays, ballets, operas, and films. The most renowned stage adaptations are three operas: Daniel Auber's Manon Lescaut (1856), Jules Massenet's Manon (1884), and Giacomo Puccini's Manon Lescaut (1893). Manon Lescaut also heavily inspired Giuseppe Verdi's opera La traviata (1853), through its influence on the play and novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils. Notable film adaptations include the Hollywood silent film When a Man Loves (1927) and Manon 70 (1968), starring Catherine Deneuve as Manon.