Adieu

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Balzac, Honoré de, 1799-1850

Contributor:

Wormeley, Katharine Prescott, 1830-1908

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Adieu" by Honoré de Balzac is a poignant novella likely written during the early to mid-19th century. This work falls under the category of literary fiction, interweaving themes of love, loss, and the human condition against the backdrop of post-Napoleonic France. The novella navigates the complex emotional landscapes of its characters as they confront the remnants of their past and the scars left by historical events. The story revolves primarily around Colonel Philippe de Sucy and his unsettling encounter with the Comtesse de Vandieres, whose life and sanity have been irrevocably altered by her experiences during a tumultuous historical moment. Following the retreat from Russia during the Napoleonic Wars, Philippe discovers Stephanie living in a state of madness, deeply affected by the horrors of war. The narrative captures Philippe's desperate attempts to revive Stephanie's lost memories and emotions through acts of love and cruelty, culminating in a tragic climax that echoes the emotional and physical turmoil of their past. Through evocative imagery and rich character development, Balzac paints a melancholic portrait of the enduring impacts of trauma, the fragility of sanity, and the haunting echoes of love that resonate long after the physical presence has faded. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by John Bickers, and Dagny, and David Widger

Notes:

Reading ease score: 78.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adieu_(short_story)

Release date is 2004-06-01