Publisher's Synopsis
The Lily of the Valley is a novel written by Honore de Balzac, a renowned French novelist. The story follows the life of Felix de Vandenesse, a young aristocrat who falls in love with a beautiful and intelligent woman named Madame Henriette de Mortsauf. Despite being married with children, Madame de Mortsauf reciprocates Felix's feelings and the two embark on a passionate but tumultuous affair.As the story unfolds, Felix finds himself torn between his love for Madame de Mortsauf and his duty to his family and social status. Meanwhile, Madame de Mortsauf struggles with her own demons, including the trauma of losing her two young sons and the pressure of maintaining her reputation as a respectable wife and mother.The novel explores themes of love, duty, social class, and the constraints of 19th-century French society. It is known for its vivid portrayal of the French countryside and its complex characters, including Felix's friend and confidant, the cynical and worldly-wise Monsieur de Mortsauf.Overall, The Lily of the Valley is a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers with its poignant portrayal of forbidden love and the human condition.These arrangements and this new happiness shed some balm upon the count's sore mind. The presence of the Duchesse de Lenoncourt at Clochegourde was a great event to the neighborhood. I reflected gloomily that she was a great lady, and the thought made me conscious of the spirit of caste in the daughter which the nobility of her sentiments had hitherto hidden from me. Who was I--poor, insignificant, and with no future but my courage and my faculties?This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.