Free summaries
French Literature — page 10
452 public-domain french literature books, summarised. Page 10 of 10.
The School for Husbands
Molière
A tyrant locks down his young ward to force her into marriage, only to be outsmarted when she turns him into the unwitting messenger for her escape.
The Confession of a Child of the Century
Alfred de Musset
A young Frenchman wounded by his mistress’s betrayal yields to a bitter cynicism that destroys his own capacity for real devotion.
The White Stone
Anatole France
An intellectual conversation among friends in Rome’s Forum shifts from the ancient past to a vision of a future socialist utopia. This meditative work explores the continuity of human nature across the vast arc of time.
Annette and Sylvie: Being Volume One of The Soul Enchanted
Romain Rolland
This searching portrait of a young woman’s intellectual and emotional awakening explores the tension between personal freedom and the ties that bind us to others. It is an intimate study of internal growth.
For The Honor Of France: 1891
Thomas A. (Thomas Allibone) Janvier
A shared train carriage becomes the stage for a veteran’s reminiscence, bridging the gap between a modern traveler and the echoes of the Crimean War. This brief, intimate portrait captures a moment of connection across time and culture.
The Romance of a Poor Young Man: A Drama Adapted from the French of Octave Feuillet
Octave Feuillet
The tale of a disgraced aristocrat who trades his title for a steward’s uniform to support his sister, this classic drama captures the quiet dignity of a man navigating a world that mistakes his poverty for malice. It is a story of endurance, misunderstanding, and the eventual triumph of character over circumstance.
The traitor's way
S. (Sidney) Levett Yeats
This historical narrative explores the psychological decay of a man who chooses betrayal over honor during the volatile religious and political conflicts of 16th-century France. It captures the heavy atmosphere of a nation caught between warring factions, shifting loyalties, and the personal ruin of a nobleman who…
The Conquest of Plassans (La Conquête de Plassans)
Émile Zola
A subtle invasion of domestic life by a predatory priest unravels a provincial family, illustrating how quiet, calculated influence can be more destructive than any open revolution.
The Naiad: A ghost story
George Sand
The truth, often stranger than fiction, is that a phantom may reside in the heart as surely as in a haunted room. This story explores whether the specters we chase are ghosts of the past or mirrors of our own desires.
A Trip to Paris in July and August 1792
Richard Twiss
HOOK A seasoned traveler ventures into the heart of the French Revolution to witness history unfold, blending botanical study with the stark, unvarnished accounts of an empire collapsing in blood and chaos.
The Magnificent Lovers (Les Amants magnifiques)
Molière
A royal mother and her daughter, caught between rival princes and an astrologer’s web of lies, find that true love thrives best when destiny is shaped by merit rather than courtly artifice.
The Rapin
H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole
A young aristocrat attempts to abandon his privileged, aimless life to become a painter in a Parisian attic, only to find that his quest for authenticity is both fragile and destructive. This story of vanity, art, and obsession captures the fleeting nature of youthful idealism against the backdrop of late…
Mère Giraud's Little Daughter
Frances Hodgson Burnett
A mother’s relentless pride in her daughter’s beauty blinds her to a tragic reality, leading to a journey that uncovers a secret sacrifice. This haunting narrative explores the devastating cost of vanity and the lengths to which love will go to protect a life that has already been lost.
The Resources of Quinola: A Comedy in a Prologue and Five Acts
Honoré de Balzac
In a sixteenth-century Spain of intrigue and Inquisition, an obsessed inventor and his wily valet gamble their lives on a mechanical miracle that defies the very laws of their age.
The Bath Keepers
Paul de Kock
In the shifting landscape of old Paris, a web of impulsive aristocrats, desperate lovers, and wandering clerks collide in a volatile struggle for reputation and redemption.
The Peasant and the Prince
Harriet Martineau
This is a historical narrative that examines the tragic downfall of the French monarchy, juxtaposing the immense suffering of the peasantry with the insulated, often oblivious lives of the royal family during the Revolution.
A Cruel Enigma
Paul Bourget
A sheltered young Parisian surrenders to a consuming passion, only to find that the woman he adores carries a secret capacity for betrayal she can neither explain nor control.
The Two Dianas, Volume 2 (of 3)
Paul Meurice
A world of political betrayal, high-stakes military siege, and tragic double identity converges in this mid-sixteenth-century historical drama.
My Neighbor Raymond (Novels of Paul de Kock Volume XI)
Paul de Kock
A spirited, sprawling comic novel of early nineteenth-century Paris, My Neighbor Raymond traces a worldly young gentleman's chaotic love life and his endless, agonizing encounters with the most meddlesome man in the city.
The Fête At Coqueville: 1907
Émile Zola
A storm off the Normandy coast washes a trove of fine spirits ashore, transforming an isolated, feuding fishing village into a week-long, joyful open-air bouse.