| Author |
Balzac, Honoré de, 1799-1850 |
| Translator |
Wormeley, Katharine Prescott, 1830-1908 |
| Title |
The Marriage Contract
|
| Note |
Reading ease score: 68.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
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| Credits |
Produced by John Bickers, and Dagny, and David Widger
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| Summary |
"The Marriage Contract" by Honoré de Balzac is a novel written in the early 19th century. The story revolves around the complex social and emotional dynamics of marriage, particularly focusing on Paul de Manerville, a count seeking to marry Natalie Evangelista, the beautiful daughter of a former wealthy family whose fortunes have dwindled. The beginning of the novel introduces Paul, who after a structured but oppressive upbringing, yearns for love and a stable family life. He finds himself caught between the expectations of society and the nature of his own desires. The conversations he has with his friend de Marsay highlight the differing views on marriage; one that views it as a social burden and another that sees it as a source of happiness. As Paul navigates his feelings and the societal pressures surrounding his potential engagement to Natalie, we also witness Natalie’s mother's scheming, emphasizing the manipulations and negotiations often accompanying marriage contracts in the societal landscape of the time. This opening section sets the stage for a narrative filled with themes of love, power, and the complexities of familial obligations. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
|
| Subject |
Marriage -- Fiction
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| Subject |
France -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
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| Subject |
French fiction -- Translations into English
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
1556 |
| Release Date |
Mar 12, 2005 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Jan 27, 2021 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
133 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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