Part of La Comédie Humaine, book 7
First published 2006
Albert Savarus arrives in Besançon as a mysterious lawyer with political ambitions. The ambitious attorney seeks to build his reputation and win election to the Chamber of Deputies, but his past holds secrets that could destroy his carefully constructed future. When young Rosalie de Watteville becomes obsessed with the enigmatic newcomer, she discovers his hidden correspondence with an Italian duchess. Rosalie's jealous interference threatens to unravel Albert's dreams of love and power. Balzac weaves a tale of romantic obsession, political maneuvering, and the destructive force of unrequited passion in provincial France. The story explores how desire can drive people to desperate acts that ultimately destroy what they most wish to possess.
Genres: fiction, romance, historical-fiction, 19th-century, political-thriller
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Besançon, France, Italy
Period: 19th-century
118 pages · Paperback · BiblioBazaar