The Indiscreet Jewels (or The Indiscreet Toys, or The Talking Jewels, French: Les bijoux indiscrets) is the first novel by Denis Diderot, published anonymously in 1748. It is an allegory that portrays Louis XV as the sultan Mangogul of the Congo who owns a magic ring that makes women's genitals ("jewels") talk. Plot Summary : Sultan Mangogul of Congo is bored of court life and suspects his mistress Mirzoza of infidelity. Happily for him, a genie presents him with a magical ring with unique properties. When the ring is rubbed and pointed at the genitals of any woman in the vicinity, the genitals ("discreet jewels") begin speaking of their past amorous experiences to the confusion and consternation of their owner. The Sultan uses the ring in this manner about thirty times - usually at a dinner or a social meeting; on these occasions, the Sultan is typically visible to the woman. However, since the ring has the additional property of making its owner invisible when required, a few of the sexual experiences recounted are through direct observation with the Sultan making himself invisible and placing his person in the unsuspecting woman's boudoir.

The Indiscreet Jewels ( or The Indiscreet Toys, or The Talking Jewels, French: Les bijoux indiscrets) is the first novel by Denis Diderot, published anonymously in 1748. It is an allegory that portrays Louis XV as the sultan Mangogul of the Congo who owns a magic ring that makes women's genitals ("jewels") talk.

Diderot (1713-84) was a French philosopher, art critic and writer and a prominent figure during the Enlightenment who is best-known as co-founder, chief editor and contributor to the Encyclopede, published in France between 1751-72. This, his first novel published anonymously in 1748, is an allegory portraying Louis XV as a Sultan of the Congo who owns a magic ring that makes women's genitals ("discreet jewels") talk to reveal their past amorous experiences. Interspersed with the bawdy tales are several digressions into philosophy, music and literature.

The Indiscreet Jewels ( or The Indiscreet Toys, or The Talking Jewels, French: Les bijoux indiscrets) is the first novel by Denis Diderot, published anonymously in 1748. It is an allegory that portrays Louis XV as the sultan Mangogul of the Congo who owns a magic ring that makes women's genitals ("jewels") talk. Sultan Mangogul of Congo is bored of court life and suspects his mistress Mirzoza of infidelity. Happily for him, a genie presents him with a magical ring with unique properties. When the ring is rubbed and pointed at the genitals of any woman in the vicinity, the genitals ("discreet jewels") begin speaking of their past amorous experiences to the confusion and consternation of their owner. In the book, the Sultan uses the ring in this manner about thirty times--usually at a dinner or a social meeting; on these occasions, the Sultan is typically visible to the woman. However, since the ring has the additional property of making its owner invisible when required, a few of the sexual experiences recounted are through direct observation with the Sultan making himself invisible and placing his person in the unsuspecting woman's boudoir.

"Philosopher, critic, novelist, and editor of the monumental Encyclopedie, Denis Diderot was one of the eighteenth century's most influential and provocative figures. For the first time complete in English translation, The Indiscreet Jewels is the earliest and, perhaps, most daring of Diderot's "philosophical" novels - a fearessly libertine fable on the order of such ribald classics as Boccaccio and Rabelais." "Published in 1748, with three chapters added later in the author's career, this extraordinary fiction is a take-off on the erotic-oriental tales popular at the time. Set in a sultan's court in the Congo, the novel begins with Mangogul (the Sultan) suffering from acute boredom, only to be rescued by a genie offering the potentate a magic ring that, when pointed at women, causes their genitals, or "jewels," to speak. The resulting story, exuberant and delightful in its wit and satire, was so openly irreverent and critical of the French Court at Versailles - with the Sultan as Louis XV and his favorite as Mme de Pompadour - that it secured its author some egregious trouble with the Parisian authorities." "But The Indiscreet Jewels is far from being just a political roman a clef. The Sultan's "scientific method" reveals an allegory of the female body, perennially silent, at last recovering its voice and daring to speak. What the "jewels" say is at once a parody and supreme example of the French Enlightenment's urge to seek knowledge above and beyond the hypocrisies, inhibitions, and limitations of everyday life."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The Talking Jewels (1748) is an erotic novel by Denis Diderot. Although he is known as a leading radical philosopher of 18th century France, Diderot also pursued a brief career as an anonymous author of controversial works of fiction. The Talking Jewels, his most famous erotic creation, is thought to have been inspired by the life of Madame de Pompadour, the favorite mistress of Louis XV. Bored with his life as Sultan of Congo, Mangogul longs for a distraction. Certain that his mistress Mirzoza has been cheating on him, he seeks the assistance of a powerful genie. With one of his wishes, Mangogul acquires a magic ring that gives him the ability to learn the sexual secrets of any woman he chooses. By rubbing the ring and pointing it toward the genitals, it grants them the power to speak and to reveal in graphic detail the romantic encounters of the past. Much to the embarrassment of these women, the talking jewels are often activated in the company of Mangogul's illustrious guests, who listen in shock to the secrets of their lustful lives. The Talking Jewels is a masterful erotic tale that plays on the prejudices and traditions of civilized society while humorlessly critiquing the stuffy morals of France's political, religious, and cultural elite. By portraying Mirzoza in a positive light, Diderot likely earned the respect of Madame de Pompadour, who helped secure funding for his influential and controversial Encyclopédie project. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Talking Jewels is a classic of French erotic literature reimagined for modern readers.