Isabelle

by André Gide

"Isabelle" by André Gide is a novella published in 1911. A young Parisian scholar conducting literary research at a remote château falls in love with the portrait of Isabelle de Saint-Auréol. As he investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding the absent woman, he pieces together a troubling past involving forbidden love, tragedy, and dark secrets. When Isabelle finally appears, reality shatters his romantic illusions. Gide called this work a "sottie"—a tale of folly—chronicling one man's descent from scholarly detachment into foolish obsession.