The Lily of the Valley by Honoré de Balzac. Short summary

5 seconds

The main character falls in love with a married woman. Although their feelings are mutual, she cannot break her marriage vow. One day the woman learns of her lover’s new affair and, unable to endure his infidelity, dies.

1 minute

Viscount Felix de Vandenez grew up in a large family. He had a brother and two sisters. His parents treated their son indifferently and coolly, giving their love to other offspring. Viscount graduated from a college for boys with developmental disabilities, where he lived for eight years. All this time Felix did not see his relatives and considered himself unnecessary.

A few years later, the protagonist falls in love with the Countess de Morseauf, who is 6 years older than him. The woman has a husband and children. He often visits the estate only to see her. But the Countess could not reciprocate his feelings, as her duty to her husband and love for her children kept her from cheating.

After a while, Felix has an affair with Lady Dedley, an Englishwoman, which the countess discovers. She is jealous of the man and cannot forgive him. The news of the affair gradually kills the woman. The Countess does give away her feelings and desires, but dies afterwards.