![Book Cover of Letters of Two Brides](/image/book/letters-of-two-brides.webp)
Letters of Two Brides
'Letters of Two Brides' Summary
The story concerns two young French women, Louise de Chaulieu (1805–1835) and Renée de Maucombe (born 1807), who become close friends during their novitiate at the Carmelite convent of Blois. When they leave the convent, however, their lives follow two very different paths. Louise chooses a life of romance, whereas Renée takes a much more pragmatic approach; but their friendship is preserved through their correspondence, which continues for a dozen years from 1823 through 1835.
Louise is expected to sacrifice herself for her two brothers and take the veil, but the young girl refuses to submit to such a fate. Her dying grandmother intercedes on her behalf and bequeaths her her fortune, thereby rescuing her from the enclosed life of a Carmelite nun and leaving her financially independent. Free to assist her brothers financially without having to sacrifice her own ambitions, Louise settles in Paris and throws herself into a life of Italian operas, masqued balls and romantic intrigues. She falls in love with an unbecoming but noble Spaniard, Felipe Hénarez, Baron de Macumer. Banished from Spain, he lives incognito in Paris where he is forced to support himself by teaching Spanish. When he regains his fortune and noble standing, he woos Louise with a romantic fervour that finally wins her over. The pair are married in March 1825. They live a life of carefree happiness, but Louise's jealousy embitters him and leads to his physical break-down. He dies in 1829, leaving a grieving widow of twenty-four.
Renée de Maucombe's attitude to love and life are in marked contrast to those of Louise. When she leaves the convent at Blois Renée moves to Provence, where she marries an older man of little wealth or standing whom she can hardly be said to love. She bears Louis de L'Estorade three children, and over the course of the next decade she devotes herself body and soul to the happiness of her family. Gradually she grows to love her husband in her own way, and with her encouragement he makes a career for himself in local politics, which culminates in his becoming a peer of France and a grand officer of the Legion of Honour. During this time Renée is quite scathing in her criticisms of Louise, whom she sees as a selfish and self-indulgent coquette. True happiness for a woman lies in motherhood and devotion to her family.
Meanwhile, four years after the death of Felipe, Louise falls in love again. This time the object of her love is a poor poet and playwright Marie Gaston, who is several years younger than she is. As though taking a leaf out of Renée's book, Louise sells her Parisian property, moves to a chalet in Ville-d'Avray (a small village near Paris) and lives a life of seclusion with her new husband. But Renée is not fooled by this masquerade. Louise, she warns, is still living a life devoted to selfishness and self-indulgence, while true happiness lies only in self-sacrifice to one's husband and children - Louise remains childless.
After a few years of apparent bliss, Louise detects a change in her husband. He becomes solicitous about the financial success of his plays, and a large sum of money goes missing. Suspecting him of having an expensive mistress, Louise makes enquiries and comes to the shocking conclusion that he has another family in Paris – an Englishwoman known by the name Madame Gaston, and two children, who look remarkably like Marie. Louise confides her feelings of despair to Renée and announces her determination to commit suicide rather than to submit to such a fate. Renée's husband makes enquiries and discovers the truth of the situation. Madame Gaston is the widow of Marie's brother. The death of her husband has left her financially destitute and Marie has taken it upon himself to assist her and his two nephews, but he is ashamed to ask his wife for money. Reneé writes to Louise to inform her of the truth and rushes to the chalet, but she is too late. Louise has contracted consumption by lying out in the dew overnight and she dies a few days later.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
FrenchPublished In
1842Author
![Honoré de Balzac image](/thumbs/image/author/honore-de-balzac.webp)
Honoré de Balzac
France
Honoré de was a French novelist and playwright. The novel sequence La Comédie humaine, which presents a panorama of post-Napoleonic French life, is generally viewed as his magnum opus....
More on Honoré de BalzacDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
![A Little Queen of Hearts Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/a-little-queen-of-hearts.webp)
A Little Queen of Hearts by Ruth Ogden
This captivating book, published in 1998, takes readers on a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the transformative power of love. Set in a qu...
![Romola Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/romola.webp)
Romola by George Eliot
Romola is a historical novel written by Mary Ann Evans under the pen name of George Eliot set in the fifteenth century. It is "a deep study of life in...
![That Unfortunate Marriage Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/that-unfortunate-marriage.webp)
That Unfortunate Marriage by Frances Eleanor Trollope
This is a captivating novel that explores the complexities of love, marriage, and societal expectations. First published in 1888, this timeless work o...
![Modeste Mignon Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/modeste-mignon.webp)
Modeste Mignon by Honoré de Balzac
Modeste Mignon is a novel by the French writer Honoré de Balzac. It is the fifth of the Scènes de la vie privée (Scenes of Private Life) in La Comédie...
![Clarissa Harlowe, or the History of a Young Lady - Volume 1 Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/clarissa-harlowe-or-the-history-of-a-young-lady-volume-1.webp)
Clarissa Harlowe, or the History of a Young Lady - Volume 1 by Samuel Richardson
It tells the tragic story of a young woman, Clarissa Harlowe, whose quest for virtue is continually thwarted by her family. The Harlowes are a recentl...
![The Green Jacket Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/the-green-jacket.webp)
The Green Jacket by Jennette Lee
In a world of socialites and hidden desires, a seemingly ordinary green jacket holds the key to unlocking a captivating tale of love, intrigue, and th...
![St. George and St. Michael, Volume 1 Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/st-george-and-st-michael-volume-1.webp)
St. George and St. Michael, Volume 1 by George MacDonald
In the quaint village of Marshmallows, where folklore and reality intertwine, a long-standing feud between two families shrouds the land in enigmatic...
![The Tragic Bride Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/the-tragic-bride.webp)
The Tragic Bride by Francis Brett Young
The story centers on Gabrielle Hewish, only and lonely child of Sir Jocelyn Hewish, a loveable lush and owner of the peaceful Roscarna estate nestled...
![Arrowsmith Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/arrowsmith.webp)
Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis
Arrowsmith is a novel by American author Sinclair Lewis, first published in 1925. It won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize (which Lewis declined). Lewis was gre...
![Not Under The Law Cover image](/thumbs/image/book/not-under-the-law.webp)
Not Under The Law by Grace Livingston Hill
It is a captivating and inspiring book that takes readers on a journey of faith, love, and personal growth. This timeless work explores the themes of...
Reviews for Letters of Two Brides
No reviews posted or approved, yet...