Modeste Mignon
'Modeste Mignon' Summary
The first part of Modeste Mignon is based on a traditional species of folktale known as La fille mal gardée ("The Ill-Watched Girl"), in which a young woman takes a lover despite the close attentions of her guardians, who are determined to preserve her chastity for a more suitable match. Modeste Mignon, a young provincial woman of romantic temperament, imagines herself to be in love with the famous Parisian poet Melchior de Canalis, whose works have filled her with passion. She corresponds with him, but he is unmoved by her attentions. Canalis invites his secretary Ernest de la Brière to deal with the matter. Ernest replies to Modeste in Canalis' name; a dangerous intrigue ensues, which sees Ernest appear in Modeste's home town of Ingouville (near Le Havre) disguised as Canalis. The plot is complicated by the interference of Modeste's family and friends, who suspect that she has secretly taken a lover. The wily dwarf Butscha, who loves Modeste as a medieval knight might have loved a lady far above his station, is determined to unmask the man. Things come to a head when Ernest discovers that Modeste's father Charles Mignon has returned from his long exile a very wealthy man: Modeste is no longer a poor provincial girl but a rich heiress with six million francs to her name. Ernest reveals his true identity, but Modeste feels humiliated and casts him off. When Modeste's true worth becomes generally known, Canalis takes a renewed interest in her and believes that his poetic ardour will enable him to win her heart. But his secretary is no longer his only rival: a local wealthy potentate the Duc d'Hérouville now regards the nouveau-riche Modeste Mignon as a suitable match and throws his hat into the ring.
The second part of the novel is also based on a traditional story-type, The Rival Suitors. Ernest, Canalis and the Duc d'Hérouville are invited to Ingouville to compete for the hand of Modeste. Still smarting from the trick played on her by Ernest, Modeste is determined to choose between the passionate advances of the poet and the prospect of becoming a duchess should she accept Hérouville. Butscha, however, who realizes that Ernest is the one who truly loves her, is equally determined to expose the pretensions of Canalis and promote Ernest's suit. Thanks to Butscha's intrigues and her father's good sense, Modeste chooses Ernest and the two are married.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
FrenchPublished In
1844Author
Honoré de Balzac
France
Honoré de was a French novelist and playwright. The novel sequence La Comédie humaine, which presents a panorama of post-Napoleonic French life, is generally viewed as his magnum opus....
More on Honoré de BalzacDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
The Permanent Husband by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The novella's plot revolves around the complicated relationship between the nobleman Velchaninov and the widower Trusotsky, whose deceased wife was Ve...
From Jest to Earnest by Edward P. Roe
Will Harold Harcourt ever find true love and purpose, or will his life of jesting and frivolity lead him to ruin? From Jest to Earnest is a heartwarm...
Ann Veronica by H. G. Wells
Ann Veronica is the youngest of five children and the only one left at home. Finding a life of "calls, tennis, selected novels, walks and dusting" to...
The Tale of Triona by William John Locke
It tells the story of a young woman's journey of self-discovery and romance. The book was first published in 1922 and has since become a beloved work...
The Lion's Skin by Rafael Sabatini
This is a thrilling historical adventure novel that transports readers to the enchanting world. Originally published in 1911, this timeless classic c...
The Fair Rewards by Thomas Beer
"The Fair Rewards" by Thomas Beer is a really distiguished novel. The writing is far above the average: it has style and sophistication and personalit...
The Crystal Cup by Gertrude Atherton
It tells the story of a beautiful young woman named Margot. Margot is the daughter of a wealthy French nobleman and is known for her exquisite beauty...
An Iceland Fisherman by Pierre Loti
This takes readers on a captivating journey to the remote and unforgiving shores of Iceland. In this gripping tale, we follow the life of Yann Gaos, a...
Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope
Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope is the third novel in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, between Barchester Towers and Framley Parsonage. The ide...
The New Magdalen by Wilkie Collins
When a young woman is presumed dead in a war, another woman seizes the opportunity to escape her past and assume her identity. But when the first woma...
Reviews for Modeste Mignon
No reviews posted or approved, yet...