Set in Congo, it tells the story of King Mangogul, who, possessing a magic ring, becomes able to make women's "bijoux" speak. The description of the kingdom and its characters clearly suggests a satirical intent towards 18th-century France, portraying the two main characters as Louis XV and his powerful lover Madame Pompadour. An important example of a philosophical and elegantly libertine novel, Diderot is said to have written it in just 15 days on a bet, earning "50 louis, which he absolutely needed." The novel, published in 1748 in Holland, was enormously successful, so much so that it went through six editions in the space of a few months.