
FRANÇOIS COPPÉE
Henriette
HENRIETTE
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In the crisp March air of Paris, the city’s elite gather after a lavish funeral, trading gossip about the late Bernard des Vignes—a wealthy deputy whose reputation as a boisterous provincial contrasts sharply with the solemn pomp surrounding his passing. The conversation drifts from his squandered pleasures to the modest fortune he leaves behind, painting a portrait of a man both celebrated and critiqued by those who knew him best.
Amid this swirl of speculation, his widow, a strikingly dignified woman of refined education, retreats to a quiet apartment on the Quai Malaquais. Devoted to her young son, a brilliant student at Lycée Louis‑le‑Grand, she immerses herself in classical studies to nurture his talent, embodying resilience in the face of personal loss. As Paris buzzes with political intrigue and shifting allegiances, her solitary world hints at the quiet strength that will shape the lives around her.
Language
fr
Duration
~2 hours (125K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Carlo Traverso, Renald Levesque and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica)
Release date
2005-08-09
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1842–1908
A leading French poet, dramatist, and storyteller of the late 19th century, he became known for writing with sympathy about ordinary people and everyday feeling. His work was widely read in France, blending clear, accessible verse with theater, fiction, and a strong sense of patriotism.
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