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The Marriage ContractHonoré de Balzac

The Marriage Contract

by OpenStories

Original author: Honoré de Balzac

CompletedPublished Updated

"The Marriage Contract" by Honoré de Balzac is a novel published in 1835. When wealthy Parisian bachelor Paul de Manerville falls for beautiful Spanish heiress Natalie Evangelista, he ignores his worldly friend's warnings and plunges into marriage. Blinded by romantic illusions, Paul fails to see the scheming ambitions of Natalie's calculating mother or recognize where his bride's true loyalties lie. This tale explores the dangerous gap between marital dreams and harsh reality, following not just the courtship but the cold negotiations that follow.

The Marriage Contract, by Honoré de Balzac. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #1556.

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8 Chapters

  1. 1.Chapter I: Pro and Con3,932 words
  2. 2.Chapter II: The Pink of Fashion5,873 words
  3. 3.Chapter III: The Marriage Contract--First Day (1)8,755 words
  4. 4.Chapter III: The Marriage Contract--First Day (2)5,045 words
  1. 5.Chapter IV: The Marriage Contract--Second Day6,137 words
  2. 6.Chapter V: The Marriage Contract--Third Day5,339 words
  3. 7.Chapter VI: Conclusion (1)8,375 words
  4. 8.Chapter VI: Conclusion (2)4,185 words