La Rabouilleuse

In this elegantly-crafted tale of sibling rivalry, two brothers, Philippe and Joseph Bridau, embody stark contrasts. Philippe, the elder, is a seemingly heroic soldier adored by their mother, Agathe, yet he harbors bitterness and squanders her savings after a fleeting career as Napoleon's aide-de-camp. In contrast, Joseph is fundamentally virtuous, but Agathe's prejudice against his artistic lifestyle blinds her to his kindness. Unbeknownst to her, she is manipulated by her favored son, raising the question of who the true black sheep is. This narrative offers a dazzling depiction of the power of money and the harsh realities of life in nineteenth-century France, exploring the nature of deceit. The translation by Donald Adamson captures Balzac's modernity, while the introduction situates the story within the broader context of Balzac's renowned Comédie humaine. For over seventy years, Penguin has been a leading publisher of classic literature, offering a global collection of over 1,700 titles. Readers rely on the series for authoritative texts, enriched by introductions and notes from distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as contemporary translations by award-winning translators.