Manon Lescaut

The Chevalier des Grieux is seventeen, brilliant, and headed for the seminary when he sees Manon Lescaut stepping off a coach, and every plan his family made for him dissolves on the spot. Prévost's short novel is his confession: how a promising young nobleman lied, gambled, and ruined himself again and again for a girl who loved him and luxury both, and could never quite choose between them, from the gaming houses of Paris to exile in the raw Louisiana colony.

Published in 1731 and promptly banned, it became one of the most influential love stories in European literature, inspiring operas by Puccini and Massenet. Manon herself remains the fascination: not a villainess, not a victim, but something more unsettling, a person impossible to keep and impossible to leave. Told as one long spoken confession, it is a story that was practically made to be listened to.

At roughly 61,700 words, Manon Lescaut runs about 7 hours at 1x narration speed. That figure is an estimate based on a typical narration pace. The exact length depends on the voice and the playback speed you choose.

The edition linked here is available from Project Gutenberg under its US public-domain listing. Check the edition, translation, completeness and copyright rules where you live. LoudReader lets you browse and download Gutenberg books; they are not all stored on installation. To listen:

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