The Bibliomaniac

In this charmingly eccentric tale, a 19th‑century French bibliophile turns his modest life into a cathedral of paper. The narrator follows a lawyer named Boulard, whose devotion to books drives him to fill every available room, even buying whole houses just to house his ever‑growing collections. With witty observations and a touch of romantic nostalgia, the story paints a picture of a man whose world is defined by the rustle of pages and the thrill of a new volume.

The prose, originally crafted by Charles Nodier, is enriched by Maurice Leloir’s delicate wood‑engraved illustrations, giving listeners a vivid visual‑audio experience. As Boulard’s obsession deepens, the narrative playfully blurs the line between harmless enthusiasm and compulsive mania, inviting reflection on the value we place on the written word. Listeners will be drawn into a whimsical yet thoughtful portrait of a life lived among books, where every shelf hides a story of its own.