Lucy Norton has provided a modern translation worthy of the original (she was encouraged by Nancy Mitford, and in fact dedicates the work to her) and Saint-Simon's splendid voice is clearly heard. But his legendary attention to detail at times threatens the narrative flow of the story. Lucy Norton has thoughtfully and compassionately abridged the repetitive and irrelevant, resulting in a work that allows the modern reader to enjoy the incredible richness of the whole. The Sun King, Louis XIV is dead, and intrigue and espionage run rampant at a royal court where indulgence and excess are the norm. Saint-Simon now has close ties to the most powerful man in France, the Regent Duc d'Orléans, but he also has enemies stronger than ever before. Both high drama and frivolous escapades reach new heights as he takes us breathlessly into his final days at the French court, and the end of an era. Used Book in Good Condition