Le Colonel Chabert

The title character, a colonel in the Napoleonic Army, is mistakenly declared dead after the Battle of Eylau (1807) and now struggles in vain to regain his wealth and identity. The failure of Chabert and the social ascent of his unfaithful wife reflect the transition from the revolutionary era to the age of restoration, where money establishes a new social hierarchy and there is no longer any place for merit and virtue.

Unabridged and unedited text edition in the original language, with translations of difficult words at the bottom of each page, afterword, and literary references.