''Sappho: Parisian Manners'' () is an 1884 novel by the French writer

Alphonse Daudet Alphonse Daudet (; 13 May 184016 December 1897) was a French novelist. He was the husband of Julia Daudet and father of Edmée, Léon and Lucien Daudet. Early life Daudet was born in Nîmes, France. His family, on both sides, belonged to the ' ...

. It was serialised in ''

L'Écho de Paris ''L'Écho de Paris'' () was a daily newspaper in Paris from 1884 to 1944. The paper's editorial stance was initially conservative and nationalistic, but it later became close to the French Social Party. Its writers included Octave Mirbeau, Hen ...

'' in 1884.

Plot

The book is largely autobiographical and inspired by Daudet's relationship with Marie Rieu. Jean Gaussin is a young man from a wealthy family in southern France and works for the government in Paris. He begins a relationship with Fanny Legrand, initially unaware of her career as a scandalous model under the name Sappho. They live together for five years and eventually adopt a child. Fanny is smitten with the child and becomes distant from Jean. Jean begins an affair with another woman, Irène, favoured by his parents to become his wife, only to return to Fanny with renewed affection. The relationship becomes more complicated when Jean realises the child they adopted is Fanny's biological child from a previous affair with a criminal, prompting him to reject her again. Realising his intact, strong affection for Fanny, Jean cancels his plans to marry Irène and returns to Fanny, who agrees to leave with him. Jean goes ahead to Marseille, but is informed by Fanny that she will not join him.

Reception

The book inspired a wave of novels with lesbian themes, including ''Sapphô'' (1884) by

Jean Richepin Jean Richepin (; 4 February 1849 – 12 December 1926) was a French poet, novelist and dramatist. Biography Born on 4 February 1849 at Médéa, French Algeria, Jean Richepin was the son of an army doctor. At school and at the École Normale ...

, ' (1886) by

Paul Bourget Paul Charles Joseph Bourget (; 2 September 185225 December 1935) was a French poet, novelist and critic. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times. Paul Bourget was born in Amiens, France. He initially abandoned Catholicism ...

, ''Paris impur'' (1889) by Charles Vimaire, ''Gomorrhe'' (1889) by , ''La Dernière journée de Sapphó'' (1901) by

Gabriel Faure In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...

and ''Sapho de Lesbos'' (1902) by Maurice Morel. The 1943

Carlos Hugo Christensen Carlos Hugo Christensen (15 December 1914 in Santiago del Estero – 30 November 1999 in Rio de Janeiro) was an Argentina, Argentine film director, screenwriter and film producer, an iconic figure of the Golden Age of Argentine cinema, classical ...

Argentine film, ''

Safo, historia de una pasión ''Safo, historia de una pasión'' is a 1943 Argentine erotic melodrama film directed by Carlos Hugo Christensen and starring Mecha Ortiz and Roberto Escalada, one of the most famous titles from the Golden Age of Argentine cinema. The film is base ...

'', is based on the novel. Reputedly, it is the first "erotic melodrama" in Argentine cinema.

Adaptations

* ''Sapho'', 1885 play by Daudet and

Adolphe Belot Louis Marc Adolphe Belot was a French playwright and novelist. He was born on 6 November 1829 in Pointe-à-Pitre, and died on 18 December 1890 in Paris. Biography Adolphe Belot was the son of an attorney employed by the Pointe-à-Pitre cour ...

* '' Sapho'', 1897 opera composed by

Jules Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884 ...

to a

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

Henri Caïn Henri Cain (11 October 1857 – 21 November 1937) was a French dramatist, opera and ballet librettist. He wrote over forty librettos from 1893 to his death, for many of the most prominent composers of the Parisian Belle Epoque. Cain was born in ...

and Arthur Bernède * '' Sapho'', 1900 play by

Clyde Fitch William Clyde Fitch (May 2, 1865 – September 4, 1909) was an American dramatist, the most popular writer for the Broadway stage of his time (). Biography Born in Elmira, New York and educated at Holderness School and Amherst College (clas ...

* '' Sapho'', 1913 American film directed by

Lucius J. Henderson Lucius Junius Henderson (June 8, 1861 – February 18, 1947) was an American silent film director and actor of the early silent period involved in more than 70 film productions. Biography Born in Aledo, Illinois, Henderson was a classically trai ...

* ''

The Eternal Sapho ''The Eternal Sapho'' (also known as ''A Modern Sapho'' and ''The Eternal Sappho'') is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Bertram Bracken and starring Theda Bara. The film was loosely based on the 1884 French novel ''Sappho'' by Alph ...

'', 1916 American films directed by

Bertram Bracken Bertram Bracken (August 10, 1879 – November 1, 1952) was an American silent screen actor, scenarist, and director who worked on at least sixty-five films between 1910 and 1932. Biography Bertram “Bert” Bracken was born in San Antonio, Tex ...

* '' Sapho'', 1917 American film directed by Hugh Ford * ''

Inspiration Inspiration, inspire, INSPIRE, or inspired commonly refers to: * Artistic inspiration, sudden creativity in artistic production * Biblical inspiration, a Christian doctrine on the origin of the Bible * Inhalation, breathing in Inspiration and rel ...

'', 1931 American films directed by

Clarence Brown Clarence Leon Brown (May 10, 1890 – August 17, 1987) was an American film director. Early life Born in Clinton, Massachusetts, to Larkin Harry Brown, a cotton manufacturer, and Katherine Ann Brown (née Gaw), Brown moved to Tennessee when h ...

* '' Sapho'', 1934 French film directed by

Léonce Perret Léonce Joseph Perret (14 March 1880 – 12 August 1935) was a prolific and innovative French film actor, director and producer.The Museum of Modern Art(retrieved 7 June 2007) He also worked as a stage actor and director. Often described as avan ...

* ''

'', 1943 Argentine film directed by

* '' Amor y sexo'', 1964 Mexican film directed by

Luis Alcoriza Luis Alcoriza de la Vega (September 5, 1918 – December 3, 1992) was a Mexican screenwriter, film director, and actor. Alcoriza was born in Spain and, exiled because of the Spanish Civil War, established himself in Mexico from 1940. His 196 ...

* ', 1971 French film directed by

References

{{Alphonse Daudet 1884 French novels Novels by Alphonse Daudet French novels adapted into films French novels adapted into plays French novels adapted into operas Novels first published in serial form Novels set in Paris French autobiographical novels