"Social Butterfly's Rise and Fall Paperback"

Author: Balzac
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-04
Features: Paper Ecological Book Series · Collection of Foreign Literary Classics. The Rise and Fall of the Courtesan narrates the secret love affair between the fallen woman Esther and the young poet Lucien. At a masquerade ball, she is recognized and attempts suicide to conceal her background. A escaped convict disguised as a Spanish priest, Vautrin, saves her and takes control of her. Vautrin also becomes Lucien's master after saving his life and seeks to avenge the rulers through him. To support Lucien enough to enter the ruling class, he forces Esther to resume her old trade, becoming the mistress of the financier Nucingen. Esther takes her own life in resentment. Lucien and Vautrin are arrested and imprisoned as a result. Soon after, Lucien also takes his own life in prison, leaving Vautrin spiritually devastated. After a fierce struggle with the authorities in prison, he ultimately submits to the government and becomes the head of security at the Paris Police Department.