Unconscious Comedians

Leon de Lora arrives in Paris with eleven francs, a bright‑eyed son of a once‑noble Pyrenean family whose fortunes have faded. Through relentless talent and the imitation of masters like Hobbema, he transforms from a ragged “rapin” into a celebrated landscape painter, a Legion of Honour officer whose canvases fetch gold. His success gifts him a fashionable rue de Berlin townhouse and a reputation that finally reaches the distant valleys of his birth, where his relatives watch his rise with a mixture of pride and disbelief.

Meanwhile his cousin Sylvestre Gazonal, a diligent industrialist from a tiny manufacturing town, confronts a far‑off legal battle over a dam that threatens his livelihood. Stranded in shabby Paris lodgings, he feels the city’s cost of living crush his spirit, and his frustration turns dark as he contemplates vengeance against the indifferent prefect. The story balances Leon’s dazzling ascent with Gazonal’s desperate struggle, setting the stage for a clash of ambition, family ties, and moral choices.