Edouard

by Claire de Durfort Duras

"Edouard" by duchesse de Claire de Durfort Duras is a novel written in 1821 or 1822 and published in 1825. It tells the story of an impossible love between Édouard, son of a wealthy bourgeois, and the Duchess of Nevers. Though drawn to each other, their relationship faces an insurmountable barrier: social class difference. When Édouard's guardian refuses permission for their marriage due to his common birth, tragedy follows both lovers. Recognized as an attack against class prejudices, it remains Duras's second novel within the Romantic movement.