Illicit Affairs

"Illicit Affairs" is the fourth volume in a series of novels inspired by the life of 18th century French author Restif de la Bretonne. The current volume tells the story of his unhappy marriage to Agnes Lebegue, who is a spendthrift and complains constantly about her husband's failure to earn enough to support her extravagant lifestyle. After one year of wedded misery, Restif betrays his nuptial vows in the arms of two shopgirls, followed by a chambermaid and a couple of prostitutes.
As discretion is not one of Restif's virtues, Agnes soon realizes that her husband has been unfaithful to her, and she retaliates by embarking on a number of affairs of her own. Despite his fondness for debauchery, Restif still finds time to pursue his literary ambitions and his first novel is published in 1767 when he is 33 years old. Of the many books written by this controversial author, some are today considered to be classics of French literature, while other works have been dismissed as sheer pornography.
Length of story is over 23, 000 words.