The Indiscreet Jewels
| Author | Denis Diderot |
|---|---|
| Original title | Les bijoux indiscrets |
| Language | French |
Publication date | 1748 |
| Publication place | France |
The Indiscreet Jewels ( or The Indiscreet Toys, or The Talking Jewels, French: Les bijoux indiscrets) is the first novel by Denis Diderot, published anonymously in 1748. It is an allegory that portrays Louis XV as the sultan Mangogul of the Congo who owns a magic ring that makes women's genitals ("jewels") talk.
Plot Summary
Sultan Mangogul of Congo is bored of court life and suspects his mistress Mirzoza of infidelity. Happily for him, a genie presents him with a magical ring with unique properties. When the ring is rubbed and pointed at the genitals of any woman in the vicinity, the genitals ("discreet jewels") begin speaking of their past amorous experiences to the confusion and consternation of their owner.[1][2][note 1] In the book, the Sultan uses the ring in this manner about thirty times—usually at a dinner or a social meeting; on these occasions, the Sultan is typically visible to the woman.[3][4] However, since the ring has the additional property of making its owner invisible when required, a few of the sexual experiences recounted are through direct observation with the Sultan making himself invisible and placing his person in the unsuspecting woman's boudoir.[3]
Notes
References
- ^ Otis Fellows (1977). Diderot. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 44.
- ^ a b P.N. Furbank (1992). Diderot:A Critical Biography. Twayne. p. 44.
- ^ a b Suzanne Rodin Pucci (1990). The Discreet Charms of the Exotic:Fictions of the harem in eighteenth-century France in Exoticism in the Enlightenment (ed. George Sebastian Rousseau and Roy Porter). Manchester University Press. p. 156.
- ^ Will Durant (1965). The Story of Civilization Volume 9:The Age of Voltaire. Simon&Schuster. p. 627.
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