“Like a true Parisian creole, Madame Marneffe detested having to exert herself. She had the cool indifference of cats, who run and pounce only when obliged to by necessity. She required life to be all pleasure, and pleasure to be all calm plain sailing.”
In this classic work, the protagonist, Bette, a shrewd and ambitious woman, manipulates and schemes her way into the upper class, revealing the corrupting influence of wealth and power on human nature. more
“We taste the spices of Arabia, yet never feel the scorching sun which brings them forth.”