The Lily Of The Valley - Honore de Balzac

Book Review Of The Lily Of The Valley -  Honore de Balzac

 Have you ever read a tragic love story? Or a love story with a happy ending. Well, this love story is a bit different from them. This story keeps one thinking about what kind of love different individuals want really want in life, some choose pure love above all that could be termed as friendship.

 This story revolves around the main characters Felix and Henritte, the year is 1835 and starts with a letter. In the beginning of the story Felix is seen writing a letter to his present girlfriend. He starts by explaining his tragic childhood and how he was the sidelined one among all his siblings. He describes that his childhood was not at all a pleasant one and his parents gave him a hard time. He grew up as a timid shy boy who was always in want of some love and affection. When he was in his late teens about 20 years old, he shifted to France for completing his education. This move was destined to change his destiny. Here in France he attended a ball party. At this party he later was really tired and felt sleepy. A woman thinking that the poor child needed some, gave him a shoulder. But later after the ball Felix was very desperate to see the woman again. He gives a brief description about her and at this point he realizes that he’s fallen the woman. One fine day as fate had it, he did meet the woman of his dreams. He accompanied with one more person were to visit a house where he saw the woman. The woman came from a wealthy family and was related to the king of that time. But there were more facts about her life that Felix learned here. She was a married woman and a mother of two who used to fall sick often. Her husband due to some past incidents and crisis had turned into a furious man. He often scolded her and put the blame on her. She was nothing different than the obedient wives who never back answered her husband but tried to keep the family happy. Felix wasn’t sure whether she remembered the ball night and him. Felix often had to visit their place. He got along with her and her husband well and she told Felix that she had recognized Felix. One fine day as Felix and Henritte along with her children walked in a garden where Felix confessed about his feelings for her. To that she replied that she saw Felix as someone closer to her as they both shared a tragic fate. She further added she only wanted a pure relation between and a pure love, someone who could understand her. She asked him if he could be the person she wanted him to be. He agreed. After that there were many twists and turns in the story. Felix had left for Paris. Felix got a job here and had now frown into a mature man. But his love for Henritte never faded. He would often visit her. But due to some medical conditions Henritte later dies. Felix went to visit her and was very much devastated after that. But later he finds a woman (same one that he has been writing the letter to) and they get along well and fall in love with each other. The letter ends with the woman reading his letter and in response writes to Felix and says that she feels like a third wheel. But she insists that they remain good friends. Though Felix was clearly in love with the latter woman, his pure love for Henritte never failed. Fate chooses our destiny. Everyone is in want of love and affection. This story might seem a tragic one but Shades light upon the different wants of people that we don’t normally think of.

Bibliography:

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 𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶𐇶