The Jealousies of a Country Town

In Balzac's sharply observed provincial world, old nobility survives as performance, memory, and social combat. Set in Alençon, these closely linked tales follow the proud d'Esgrignon family, the calculating rise of social climbers, and the unforgettable Chevalier de Valois, whose elegance, wit, and hidden ambitions reveal how fragile aristocratic dignity becomes when inheritance, marriage, and reputation are on the line. The d'Esgrignons cling to ancestral honor after Revolution and ruin strip away their lands, while their loyal steward Chesnel helps preserve what remains of the estate and its pride. Around them moves a web of provincial society—honorable women, vain young men, loyal retainers, grisettes, and opportunists—each exposing the tension between decency and self-interest. At the center stands the Chevalier de Valois, a charming, aging nobleman who lives modestly, flatters expertly, wins at cards, and carefully cultivates an image of refinement that conceals practical cunning. Rich in irony, social nuance, and melancholy, these stories trace the decline of an old order without ever losing sight of its stubborn grace. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.