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Her lengthy novels, such as Artamène, ou le Grand Cyrus ( 10 vols., 1648 – 53 ), Clélie ( 10 vols., 1654 – 61 ), Ibrahim, ou l ' illustre Bassa ( 4 vols., 1641 ), Almahide, ou l ' esclave reine ( 8 vols., 1661-3 ) were the delight of Europe, commended by other literary figures such as Madame de Sévigné.

Artamène, which contains about 2. 1 million words, ranks as one of the longest novels ever written.

These stories derive their length from endless conversations and, as far as incidents go, successive abductions of the heroines, conceived and told decorously.

Contemporary readers also enjoyed these novels because they gave a glimpse into the life of important society figures.

These figures were often disguised as Persian, Greek, Roman warriors and maidens.