Abbé Prévost wrote the most modern novel of the 18th century, "Manon Lescaut". A new currency appeared beside money, faith and reason: Love. It is the natural force of emotion. I what can I place my trust, if not my ability to love? The story depicted in the novel ends in the desert. Dr. Ulrike Sprenger, author of the Proust ABC, speaks about one of the most influential novels the world has ever seen.