Le Goût de Monsieur examines male homosexuality in seventeenth‑century France, focusing on the cultural and social milieu surrounding Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, known as Monsieur. Drawing on court records and correspondence, as well as contemporary literature, Didier Godard traces how same‑sex desire was expressed, policed, and represented within the aristocracy and broader society. The study situates these experiences within the shifting attitudes toward sexuality after the reign of Louis XIII and during the early years of Louis XIV’s rule. By analyzing both elite discourses and popular attitudes, the book reveals the contradictions between official morality and private practices. It contributes to the history of sexuality and queer studies, while also shedding light on early modern French history, offering readers a nuanced view of how gender norms and power shaped homosexual identities in the Ancien Régime.

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