History Literature / TheWomanWithTheVelvetNecklace

* IDontWantToDie: Mme du Barry. This is based on historical anecdote, telling that the woman's last lines before she was lowered before the guillotine were "Just one minute more, sir! One more minute!"

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: The main character, Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, better known as Creator/ETAHoffmann, was an actual writer of fantastic stories which often explored the boundaries of madness, and his critics were prone to accusing him of being mad himself. He would have been just 17 when the events of ''La femme au collier de velours'' supposedly took place.

''La Femme au collier de velours,'' is a 19th century French novel by Creator/AlexandreDumas, ''père.'' Commonly retranslated as ''The Woman with the Velvet Collar.'' A recognized classic of the "Fantastique" genre.

Or, ''La Femme au collier de velours,'' is a 19th century French novel by Creator/AlexandreDumas, ''père.'' Commonly retranslated as ''The Woman with the Velvet Collar.'' A recognized classic of the "Fantastique" genre.

Or, ''La Femme au collier de velours,'' is a 19th century French novel by Creator/AlexandreDumas, ''pere.'' Commonly retranslated as ''The Woman with the Velvet Collar.'' A recognized classic of the "Fantastique" genre.

!! Tropes Used In This Work Include:

* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Arsène, Antonia, and Mme Du Barry.

* ContrivedCoincidence: He just ''happens'' to run into his friend Werner in Paris when neither knows where to find the other -- then when he loses Arsène he happens to find her again in the Place de la Revolution.
* [[spoiler: DeadAllAlong: Arsène is dead -- or possibly not even real -- from the moment that Hoffmann found her in the Place de la Revolution.]]

* EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench: Although the very sexy Arsène is French, the narrator does not say she is desirable because she is French. Instead, Hoffmann's fiance, Antonia, is half-German and half-Italian (the two races which Dumas says compete for the title of most beautiful), and explicitly owes her attractiveness to her heritage.

* IDontWantToDie: Mme Du Barry. This is based on historical anecdote, telling that the woman's last lines before she was lowered before the guillotine were "Just one minute more, sir! One more minute!"

* EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench: Although the very sexy Arsène is French, the narrator does not say she is desirable because she is French. Instead, Hoffmann's fiance, Antonia, is half-German and half-Italian (the two races which Dumas says [[TheBeautifulElite compete for the title of most beautiful]]), and explicitly owes her attractiveness to her heritage.

Or, ''La Femme Au Collier De Velours,'' is a 19th century French novel by Creator/AlexandreDumas, ''pere.'' Commonly retranslated as ''The Woman with the Velvet Collar.'' A recognized classic of the "Fantastique" genre.

Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, commonly just "Hoffmann," is a German art student/musician/poet DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife with his friend Werner. Hoffmann and Werner plan on going to Paris, but most plans are put off by a lack of funds. However, just when they're ready to go, Hoffmann falls in LoveAtFirstSight with Antonia, a pure and sweet musician's daughter, and stays behind in Germany to prepare for their wedding while Werner trots off to Paris. It isn't long, though, before Hoffmann itches to join Werner. Antonia lets him go, with [[HeroicVow only two conditions,]] and it's off to Paris!

* HairOfGold: Antonia's golden hair sets off her angelic aspect (complete with golden harp, beautiful singing voice, and her sweet and chaste nature). Antonia is the ultimate good woman, in contrast to dark-haired Arsène, the ultimate bad girl.

* FemmeFatale: Arsène is bad news from the get-go.

* [[spoiler: AllJustADream -- OrWasItADream?]]

* HairOfGold: Antonia. Yet she also has black eyebrows.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Hoffmann has trouble getting through to France. So he takes out his pipe -- his big, hefty pipe like all Germans have -- and shows it to the French border patrol, who are stunned because they have such little, ineffectual pipes.

* RuleOfSymbolism: Loads and loads of symbolism. Werner first sees Antonia as she is coming out of church, her head modestly bowed. Her mother died in an opera of ''[[ClassicalMythology Alcèste]].'' Hoffmann first sees Arsène as she plays the spirit of "Spring" (like the Springtime of the French republic), and later Arsène dresses as a Maenad. His last encounter with Arsène, he finds her sitting at the feet of the guillotine, alone, at night, in the Revolution Square.

His very first day, he witnesses the beheading of Madame Du Barry, and is deeply disturbed. Unable to take in the art in the museums, and [[WhatAnIdiot with no way to find his friend Werner,]] he goes to the Opera, where he finds [[FemmeFatale Arsène.]] She's incredibly beautiful, absolutely unattainable, and Hoffmann doesn't take long to decide he ''must'' have her. What follows is one man's descent into vice, lust, and the frenzy of Paris during the Terror -- and, possibly, complete insanity.

Or, ''La Femme Au Collier De Velours,'' is a 19th century French novel by AlexandreDumas, ''pere.'' Commonly retranslated as ''The Woman with the Velvet Collar.'' A recognized classic of the "Fantastique" genre.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: The main character, Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, better known as E.T.A. Hoffmann, was an actual writer of fantastic stories which often explored the boundaries of madness, and his critics were prone to accusing him of being mad himself. He would have been just 17 when the events of ''La femme au collier de velours'' supposedly took place.

* PaleSkinnedBrunette: Arsène.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: The main character, Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, better known as E.T.A. Hoffmann, was an actual writer of fantastic stories which often explored the boundaries of madness, and his critics were prone to accusing him of being mad himself. However, he would have been just 17 when the events of ''La femme au collier de velours'' supposedly took place.

* CelibateHero: Werner will not pursue any romances other than with Antonia.

* LongestPrologueEver: ''Sixty pages!'' About some old man who likes to talk about his toads that live for six hundred years.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: The main character, Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, better known as E.T.A. Hoffmann, was an actual writer of fantastic stories which often explored the boundaries of madness, and his critics were prone to accusing him of being mad himself. However, he would have been just 16 when the events of ''La femme au collier de velours'' supposedly took place.

Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, commonly just "Hoffmann," is a German art student/musician/poet DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife with his friend Werner. Hoffmann and Werner plan on going to Paris, but most plans are put off by a lack of funds. However, just when they're ready to go, Hoffmann falls in LoveAtFirstSight with Antonia, a pure and sweet angel of music, and stays behind in Germany to prepare for their wedding while Werner trots off to Paris. It isn't long, though, before Hoffmann itches to join Werner. Antonia lets him go, with [[HeroicVow only two conditions,]] and it's off to Paris!

Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, commonly just "Hoffman," is a German art student/musician/poet DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife with his friend Werner. Hoffman and Werner plan on going to Paris, but most plans are put off by a lack of funds. However, just when they're ready to go, Hoffman falls in LoveAtFirstSight with Antonia, a pure and sweet angel of music, and stays behind in Germany to prepare for their wedding while Werner trots off to Paris. It isn't long, though, before Hoffman itches to join Werner. Antonia lets him go, with [[HeroicVow only two conditions,]] and it's off to Paris!

Just one thing Hoffman forgot about. TheFrenchRevolution is in full swing.

His very first day, he witnesses the beheading of Madame Du Barry, and is deeply disturbed. Unable to take in the art in the museums, and [[WhatAnIdiot with no way to find his friend Werner,]] he goes to the Opera, where he finds [[FemmeFatale Arsene.]] She's incredibly beautiful, absolutely unattainable, and Hoffman doesn't take long to decide he ''must'' have her. What follows is one man's descent into vice, lust, and the frenzy of Paris during the Terror -- and, possibly, complete insanity.

* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Arsene, Antonia, and Mme Du Barry.

* ContrivedCoincidence: He just ''happens'' to run into his friend Werner in Paris when neither knows where to find the other -- then when he loses Arsene he happens to find her again in the Place de la Revolution.
* [[spoiler: DeadAllAlong: Arsene is dead -- or possibly not even real -- from the moment that Hoffman found her in the Place de la Revolution.]]
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Hoffman has trouble getting through to France. So he takes out his pipe -- his big, hefty pipe like all Germans have -- and shows it to the French border patrol, who are stunned because they have such little, ineffectual pipes.
* ElegantClassicalMusician: Hoffman falls even more in love with Antonia after hearing her sing and play the harp.
* EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench: Although the very sexy Arsene is French, the narrator does not say she is desirable because she is French. Instead, Hoffman's fiance, Antonia, is half-German and half-Italian (the two races which Dumas says [[TheBeautifulElite compete for the title of most beautiful]]), and explicitly owes her attractiveness to her heritage.
* FatBastard: Arsene’s current paramour.
* TheFrenchRevolution: Arsene is supposed to be a metaphor for the same.

* IGaveMyWord: And Hoffman, idiot that he is, breaks it.

* LosingYourHead: Mme Du Barry. Also, [[spoiler: Arsene. It's only her velvet necklace that keeps it on.]]

* PaleSkinnedBrunette: Arsene.

* RapunzelHair: Arsene -- her hair trails down on the floor behind her when she stands up.
* RuleOfSymbolism: Loads and loads of symbolism. Werner first sees Antonia as she is coming out of church, her head modestly bowed. Her mother died in an opera of ''[[ClassicalMythology Alcestic]].'' Hoffman first sees Arsene as she plays the spirit of "Spring" (like the Springtime of the French republic), and later Arsene dresses as a Maenad. His last encounter with Arsene, he finds her sitting at the feet of the guillotine, alone, at night, in the Revolution Square.
* SexyDiscretionShot: [[spoiler: Hoffman and Arsene, after a wild evening of piano playing and dancing, fall into bed together. Cut to the next morning.]]
* ShoutOut: Many, as is normal for French literature. Particular note is Arsene’s costume as ‘Erigone,’ a Maenad from ClassicalMythology who committed suicide.

* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: Is Hoffman going insane? Is he a recent escapee from a mental hospital? Or is the story that he's a recent escapee from a mental hospital merely a coverup for a story that is far more bizarre and horrifying?

* AirInAGString: Antonia is not only beautiful, but a prodigious musician with the voice of an angel.

* EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench: Although the very sexy Arsene is French, the narrator does not say she is desirable because she is French. Instead, Hoffman's fiance, Antonia, is half-German and half-Italian (the two races which Dumas says [[TheBeautifulPeople compete for the title of most beautiful]]), and explicitly owes her attractiveness to her heritage.

* TwilightZoneTwist

* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Arsene Antonia, and Mme Du Barry.