This trilogy of stories—Ferragus: Chief of the Companions of Duty, The Duchesse De Langeais, and The Girl with the Golden Eyes—purporting to be the history of a secret society, laid the foundation for
Finance, fashionable society, and the intrigues of the underworld and the police system form the heart of this powerful novel, which introduces the satanic genius Vautrin, one of the greatest villains
Eugenie's moving story is set against the backdrop of provincial oppression, the vicissitudes of the wine trade, and the workings of the financial system in the aftermath of the French Revolution. It
