Folle-Farine

Folle-Farine opens in a world of art, beauty, and suffering, where the emotional force of Ouida's storytelling is framed by literary epigraphs and a dedication to Ingres. Against the misty, bell-haunted streets of an ancient Norman town, the novel traces lives shaped by poverty, longing, and the distant lure of Paris, especially Reine Flamma, daughter of the miller of Yprès. From this enclosed provincial world, the story turns to Arslàn, a painter of ruthless precision whose cold eye transforms a sleeping girl into a subject for his canvas, revealing a man driven by artistic obsession rather than human tenderness. As the drama deepens, passion hardens into accusation, pride, and endurance. A woman's disdainful gaze hints at buried conflict, while the boastful Red Mouse admits that conquest cannot reach the soul. Arslàn is celebrated as a genius and conqueror, yet his greatness is shadowed by his cruelty and emotional emptiness. The novel moves toward a tragic, almost mythic close, where a steadfast woman suffers and remains faithful "for love's sake" even unto death, before her body is abandoned, stripped, and buried by cowardly reapers. Through romance, symbolism, and stark cruelty, the book becomes a haunting meditation on beauty, devotion, and the cost of loving in a merciless world. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.