The story opens in Poitiers at the joyless and drab wedding of Gérard Auvinet and Linette Bonfils, both twenty years old. Their families are unaware that Linette is pregnant, and Gérard’s mother, a destitute widow, disapproves of their union and worries that her son’s already precarious financial situation will only become worse as a result. The young couple leave Poitiers for Paris to conceal Linette’s pregnancy and hope to find success in the city.
Life in Paris for them is difficult, and worries about money are a daily occurrence. Gérard is young and full of ambition, but is indecisive and has few opportunities. Through an acquaintance, he gets a poorly-paid job at The League of Patriotic Frenchman, ostensibly as the private secretary to the head of the association, but in reality he is little more than an office boy who stuffs envelopes. He soon beccomes bored with his situation, and to make matters worse, Linette falls seriously ill.
Gérard struggles, alone at first, to provide for them, before accepting help from Pilar, a well-heeled woman he meets in a bar. Pilar, whom he begins an affair with, asks Gérard to sell a valuable emerald ring she has acquired from a wealthy older patron. Gérard learns that man has stolen the ring, along with other items of jewelry, from his estranged daughters. Realizing Pilar’s venality, Gérard breaks with her and gives up on the path he has embarked upon.
In the meantime, Linette recovers and gives birth to a daughter. Gérard sees this as a sign of destiny, and is encouraged to take responsibility for himself and his new family. He accepts the prospect of a more regular life thanks to a modest job with a newspaper in Tulle.
Weight | 0.4 kg |
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Author | |
ISBN | 9780151227006 |
Publisher | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
Publication Year | 1985 |
Pages | 123 |
Format | Hardcover |