London, Nov 21 Former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing's controversial novel, modelled on himself and Princess Diana, has failed to impress the readers and has been declared a literary flop.

After an initial print run of 100,000 books, the tale of a secret and passionate love affair between President Jacques-Henri Lambertye and Princess Patricia of Cardiff has attracted a little over 18,000 buyers.

The tome 'The Princess and the President' created uproar whether it includes elements of fact or merely the fantasies of an 83-year old.

According to newspaper Le Monde, Giscard d'Estaing has shot himself in the foot commercially by admitting too soon that the love story was entirely fiction.

"Public curiosity has been extinguished," the Telegraph quoted editor, Bernard de Fallois, as saying.

The newspaper further adds that poor sales were also partly because the former president had "wounded" a key slice of his potential readership, namely "middle-aged women of a certain social standing".

Many bookshop owners reportedly said they have heard countless such customers declare: "Really, one doesn't boast about having mistresses." Le Passage, Mr Giscard d'Estaing's first novel, was also a commercial failure and slated by the critics as displaying "a total absence of originality". (ANI)