Forced by her parents to take holy orders, 16-year-old Suzanne is trapped in a monastic life and endures harrowing physical, sexual and emotional abuse. The depiction of her struggle for autonomy is coated in the mysticism and madness of her environment, as the overwhelming effects of power are laid bare. Diderot, a key figure of the Enlightenment, uses the novel to question the moral authority of the Church and pour scorn on its complicity in oppression and intolerance. Although it was begun as an elaborate practical joke aimed at luring an old friend back to Paris, The Nun (‘La Religieuse’) developed into a complex, compelling work that – when published complete – captured the zeitgeist of late 18th-century France and enjoyed immediate success.
In this multi-cast recording, Diderot’s extraordinary creation is newly alive.