Count's Ball

9781417910878

1417910879

1929. Precocious French writer and poet. A dozen lines from Radiguet's notes on The Count's Ball explains: A novel in which only the psychology will be romantic. The only imaginative effort will be applied, not to exterior events, but to the analysis of emotions. This novel of chaste love will be as salacious in its own way as the most unchaste novel. The style will be careless, since elegance should always have the look of being ill-dressed. As for the background: The society atmosphere is favorable to the flowering of certain emotions, but the book will not be a description of society. In this respect it will differ from Proust. The background, in reality, is of no importance. The storyline follows Francois de Seryeuse who falls in love with Countess d'Orgel. Although they never meet in the flesh, she feels guilty and compelled to confess to her husband. Francois's mother arrives in Paris to help resolve the situation. Francois is unable to break free from home and family and the novel ends with the Count passing the matter off lightly and going about the business of planning costumes and entrances for the masked ball of the novel's title.