Une vie (Maupassant)

It was serialised in 1883 in the Gil Blas, then published in book form the same year as L'Humble Vérité.

Jeanne is a sheltered and naive aristocratic girl consumed by fanciful romantic ideas about her future.

She lives with her parents, the Baron and the Baroness, on their family estate called the Poplars - an old country mansion by the sea in Normandy.

Although, flesh and blood Julien does not quite live up to her vague romantic fantasy life, Jeanne convinces herself she is in love.

Upon their return to the Poplars, Jeanne is hopeful and excited about her married future, but Julien's personality changes rapidly.

One night, delirious with fever, Jeanne stumbles around the house looking for Rosalie and finds her in Julien's bed.

Distraught, Jeanne runs out of the house into the cold night and, upon reaching a cliff, contemplates suicide.

The Baron exiles Rosalie from the Poplars but also gives her a large chunk of land making her a desirable bride - even with a child.

Upon giving birth to her son, Paul, Jeanne decides that her child will be her sole focus and reason for living.

This contributes to her growing disgust with human sexuality which Jeanne increasingly views as base and immoral.

Abbe Picot advises Jeanne to fake being pregnant, which will lead Julien letting down his guard.

Abbe Picot, the village priest - earthy, tolerant and pragmatic - retires due to his age.

He is replaced by the much younger Abbe Tolbiac - a raging zealot who is furious with the village's relaxed sexual mores and makes it his mission to reform everyone.

But Jeanne finds the fanatic's uncompromising passion comforting - after all, her experiences with sexual relations made her detest them too.

Between Jeanne putting up with Julien's affair and the Baron's anti-religious campaign, the priest becomes an avowed enemy of the family.

Tolbiac is infuriated by a young unmarried couple who refuse to heed to his moralizing, then completely loses it when he sees a group of children cheer on a dog giving birth.

Overcome with hate for all things "flesh", Tolbiac beats the dog to death, literally squeezing the last puppy out of her while he strangles her.

When Paul grows up Jeanne finds out that he is forging letters from her and a doctor excusing him from school while he is skipping classes, gambling and visiting prostitutes.

Eventually, Paul is in so much debt, that in order to save him the Baron starts selling off their family properties.

Rosalie is forced to sell the Poplars - one more heartbreaking loss that Jeanne can hardly bare.