Project Gutenberg 2007-09-18 Public domain in the USA. 175 Gautier, Théophile 1811 1872 Gaultier, Theophile Gautier, Theophile Gautier, Pierre-Jules-Théophile Hearn, Lafcadio 1850 1904 Koizumi, Yakumo Hearn, Patrick Lafcadio Xiaoquan, Bayun King Candaules David Widger "King Candaules" by Théophile Gautier is a historical novella written in the late 19th century. Set in ancient Lydia before the Trojan War, the story revolves around the exploits of King Candaules and his obsession with displaying the beauty of his wife, Queen Nyssia. The narrative explores themes of desire, jealousy, and the boundaries of intimacy as Candaules devises a plan that fundamentally alters the dynamics of love and honor. The opening of the tale establishes the atmosphere of anticipation surrounding a grand festival in Sardes, where Candaules is set to marry Nyssia, the daughter of a satrap. As the festivities unfold, we are introduced to Gyges, the king's chief guard, whose life becomes enmeshed in the intrigue of the royal family. Candaules, captivated by Nyssia's beauty, recounts her unmatched allure to Gyges and eventually reveals his desire to show her to him in a moment of intimacy. As Gyges grapples with the moral implications of witnessing Nyssia's nudity, the narrative heightens its tension, foreshadowing conflict and the complex interplay of admiration, possession, and betrayal that will follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 56.2 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Fiction PQ Text Category: Historical Novels Category: Novels Category: French Literature 157578 2025-08-09T11:57:41.244725 text/html 159201 2021-09-10T05:55:21 text/html 135442 2025-08-09T11:57:46.493700 application/epub+zip 134607 2025-08-09T11:57:43.773694 application/epub+zip 133909 2025-08-09T11:57:42.719707 application/epub+zip 243483 2025-08-09T11:57:48.731175 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 231035 2025-08-09T11:57:45.834212 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 198016 2022-09-10T14:33:49.730866 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 138068 2025-08-09T11:57:40.855700 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 137845 2021-09-10T05:55:37 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19538 2025-08-09T11:57:48.864156 application/rdf+xml 13449 2025-08-09T11:57:43.209695 image/jpeg 3429 2025-08-09T11:57:42.966688 image/jpeg 54678 2021-09-10T05:56:07 application/octet-stream application/zip 57675 2021-09-10T05:56:28 application/octet-stream application/zip 128372 2025-08-09T11:57:41.259714 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia fr.wikipedia en.wikipedia