The Charterhouse of Parma

Fabrizio del Dongo, a young Italian aristocrat who is brazen and naive, is resolved to go to war to support Napoleon while facing the wrath of his right-wing father. He arrives at the Battle of Waterloo unprepared but fired up for battle and glory. Fabrizio finally takes advice and slips back to Milan, only to get caught up in a series of romantic misadventures that are fueled by his impetuous temperament and his aunt Gina’s and her cunning lover’s political machinations. The Charterhouse of Parma, considered by Balzac to be the most significant French novel of its day, is a captivating work of extravagance and bravery that combines the intrigues of the Italian court with the passion and excitement of youth.