La religieuse

by Denis Diderot

"La religieuse" by Denis Diderot is a novel completed around 1780 and published posthumously in 1796. Inspired by a real case, it tells the story of Suzanne Simonin, a young woman forced by her parents to take religious vows and confined to a convent against her will. Through three different convents, she endures psychological torment, physical harassment, and unwanted advances while fighting for her freedom. The novel denounces religious institutions that imprison individuals and explores how enforced isolation corrupts human nature.