
Set in the bustling streets of late‑19th‑century Paris, the novel follows a charismatic socialite whose charm masks a carefully constructed falsehood. As he weaves his way through salons, cafés, and the shadowy corners of the city, he creates a world that dazzles those around him while concealing a secret that threatens to upend his comfortable existence.
When a chance encounter with an earnest young woman begins to unravel the delicate fabric of his deception, the story shifts from elegant observation to a tense psychological study. Their uneasy partnership forces both characters to confront the thin line between honesty and survival, and the narrative captures the subtle power struggles that lie beneath polite society. Listeners will be drawn into a vivid portrait of ambition, desire, and the fragile truth that holds a life together.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (587K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Dagny and Laura Natal Rodrigues at Free Literature (Images generously made available by Hathi Trust Digital Library.)
Release date
2021-07-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1852–1935
A major French novelist and critic of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his fiction explored psychology, morality, and the tensions of modern society. He moved from poetry and literary criticism into bestselling novels that helped shape the French psychological novel.
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