
Produced by Mireille Harmelin and the Online Distributed
Imagine finding yourself stranded in the quiet streets of Poitiers, a city where the slow‑moving haze of provincial life settles over every passerby. The narrative urges you beyond the town’s tired lanes, along the modest Clain river, where moss‑covered arches span a tranquil valley flanked by gentle hills. In this hidden nook, the elegant Château de La Seiglière watches over a lush park, while a modest neighboring manor hints at a quieter dignity, inviting the curious to wander among lingering shadows and whispered histories.
At the heart of this landscape lives the last Marquis of La Seiglière, a flamboyant noble who revels in hunting, grand banquets, and the simple pleasures of his estate. Yet even his carefree existence cannot ignore the distant rumble of a gathering storm, a subtle portent of change that threatens to upend the world he knows. As the marquis drifts between the comforts of his carriage and the lively conversations at his table, the story begins to trace the fragile balance between aristocratic indulgence and the inevitable tide of history.
Language
fr
Duration
~3 hours (215K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2010-12-19
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1811–1883
A French novelist and playwright of the 19th century, he is best remembered for elegant, emotionally driven stories of love, society, and class. His life also crossed paths with George Sand early in both of their literary careers, adding an extra layer of intrigue to his place in French literature.
View all books
by Mme Emile de Girardin, Théophile Gautier, Joseph Méry, Jules Sandeau

by Jules Sandeau

by Jules Sandeau

by Jules Sandeau

by Jules Sandeau

by Vinceslas-Eugène Dick

by Philippe Aubert de Gaspé

by Abraham Cahan