Sarrasine by Honoré de Balzac. Short summary

5 seconds

Ernest Sarrazin falls in love with Zambiella, the star of the Roman opera. He learns from her cardinal patron that Zambiella is not really a girl, but a castrato.

1 minute

During the ball, an unknown old man is present in the house and manages to frighten and intrigue the partygoers. The narrator, says he knows the man and tells the story of Ernest-Jean Sarrazin.

One day in Rome, he sees a performance in which Zambinella participates. Sarrazin falls in love with the girl and attends all her performances, gradually creating her cast in clay. Once at a party the young people spend time together, Sarrazin tries to seduce the girl. Zambinella hints that she has a secret and says they should not see each other.

The man then devises a plan to kidnap his lover from a party at the French Embassy. When he arrives, he sees that Zambiella is dressed as a man. Ernest speaks to the cardinal, the star’s patron, and he informs the young man that Zambiella is a castrato. Later, Zambiella confirms the cardinal’s words. The narrator reveals that the old man at the party is Zambinella, Marianne’s maternal great-uncle.