(1731) It's a story of faithlessness and devotion that inspired two brilliant operas, either of them better than the book. Without music I expected to loathe both principals: her for her deception, him for his blind devotion. But both are more complex: Manon is an ambitious woman who seeks to rise by means available to her and Des Grieux is an unreliable narrator who may be a greater liar than Manon. Mixed feelings but more engaging than expected.