Adieu

By Honoré de Balzac

Book Overview

Adieu explores the lingering effects of war, trauma, and memory. A chance encounter with an old manor leads to the discovery of a woman who has lost her sanity, her mind shattered by past events. Her troubled past involves a brutal retreat from the battlefield during Napoleon's campaign in Russia, where loss and survival become intertwined. A catastrophic journey across a river, the separation from loved ones, and years of captivity shape her tragic fate. The story delves into the deep psychological scars left by war and the struggle to find closure. A man, devoted to restoring what was lost, attempts to rekindle the past in an effort to restore her memory. The scenery, carefully reconstructed to resemble the fateful moments from years ago, serves as a catalyst for her eventual recognition, but the emotional toll proves too much, and the reunion is fleeting. In the end, the unresolved wounds of the past claim both their lives. Adieu is a meditation on the devastating effects of war, love lost, and the inescapable nature of trauma.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 937042346X
• ISBN13: 9789370423466
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Double 9 Books
• Length: 42 Pages
• Weight: 0.13 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 5.5" x 8.5"