Eugénie Grandet

“Eugénie Grandet”—a novel by Honoré de Balzac; the first complete publication was made in 1834.

The events of the book unfold in a French province of the 19th century. The head of a wealthy family, Félix Grandet—a miser and despot—secretly hoards money, spends nothing on anyone, and saves on everything. Madame Grandet suffers—she is a weak woman who doesn’t dare to contradict her husband. The beautiful daughter—Eugénie Grandet—meets her cousin Charles, who has arrived from Paris. Love arises between them, but Charles is forced to leave abroad. Eugénie promises to wait for him.

Years pass: Eugénie’s mother dies, then her father. She becomes the heir to a vast fortune. One day, Eugénie learns that Charles has returned to France, but plans to marry someone else…