French literature summaries - 2021

Short summary - Countess Of Rudolstadt - La Comtesse de Rudolstadt
George Sand - Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin

Micro-narration: After the death of her husband, the main character, a famous opera singer, falls into the king's disfavor. She is rescued by an unknown knight who turns out to be her husband.

Continuation of the novel "Consuelo".

In the opera house in Berlin, the singer shines, whom everyone calls Porpora, after her teacher, the famous composer Porpora. In fact, this is the gypsy Consuelo. Somehow during the performance the girl faints. King Frederick the Great, present in the auditorium, shows concern. The king's attention to the opera diva does not go unnoticed, the courtiers are discussing his new hobby.

The singers tell how the famous sorcerer Cagliostro visited the opera. The actors asked him to demonstrate his art. Porpoorina stated that she would believe in witchcraft if Cagliostro mentioned the name of the person she was thinking of.

The girl was ushered into a dark, haunted room. After spending some time there, she declared that Cagliostro was not a real sorcerer. She thought about her teacher Porpora, and he showed her her late friend, passing him off as a living one. The king believes that the singer's faint is a consequence of this incident, because after it the girl cries all the time. He rejects all assumptions about love for her, just once she saved his life, and he worries about her.

The king's sister, Princess Amalia, is interested in her brother's hobby. Her maid, Mrs von Kleist, worries that a ghost has appeared in the palace - a White Woman with a Broom. The princess believes that this is nonsense, the main thing is to prevent the singer's connection with her brother. She sends Mrs. von Kleist to Porporina in order to invite the singer to her place.

The girl wants to ask the princess to help her teacher, the only person close to her who has a problem with documents at the border. Porpoorina also received a letter, which she must convey to the princess.

Having received the letter, the princess almost goes crazy with joy: her beloved Baron Trenk fled from prison. Because of the relationship with the princess, the king put the baron in prison, falsely accusing him of high treason.

In the castle, Porpoorina sees the sorcerer Princess Trismegistus and almost faints, as he reminds her of her late husband.

Princess Amalia is imbued with love for Porpoorina and asks to tell about her life. The girl says that since childhood she wandered with her mother, earning her bread by singing. Once the famous maestro Porpora heard the girl, took her to his school and after the death of her mother replaced her father. From childhood, Consuelo was friends with the orphan Andzoletto, a handsome young man with a wonderful voice.

Due to intrigues in the theater and treason, Andzoletto Consuelo broke off relations with him and went to the Czech Republic, to the castle of the Rudolstadt family, to give lessons to the young Baroness Amalia, the niece of the owner of the castle, the count, Rudolstadt. The owner's son, Count Albert, a strange young man who disappeared for several weeks and then appeared as if nothing had happened, fell in love with a girl.

Despite the fact that Albert's family approved of his relationship with the poor gypsy, Consuelo was confused: she did not love Albert, although she was in awe of him. Hearing about the relationship between Consuelo and Albert, Andzoletto suddenly appeared in the castle. Consuelo fled to Vienna, where Porpora was now living. On the way, she met the young musician Joseph Haydn, who was also on his way to the famous maestro to take music lessons from him.

The young people decided to travel together. Taking precautions, the girl changed into a man's suit. On the way, they met Baron von Trenck. Consuelo also met King Frederick and helped him avoid death at the hands of a fanatic. Next, Consuelo met with a relative of Count Albert, who brought the girl to the castle of the Rudolstadt family, since Albert was dying of consumption. They were married on their deathbed.

Consuelo confesses that he loves her deceased husband. Amalia is imbued with sympathy for the girl and asks not to give her secret to the king.

Porpoorina tells Amalia about the striking resemblance between Albert and Trismegistus. Amalia has known Trismegistus for a long time, he cannot be Count Albert. Porpoorina wants to meet with the sorcerer, but he has already left and will not be soon.

Amalia chuckles at the ghost of the White Lady, but all three women hear the sound of a broomstick and someone's footsteps.

Porpoorina meets one of the king's entourage, who knows who the singer really is, and tells her about the ghost of Albert.

The King visits Consuelo. He is unhappy that the girl was in the palace, it seems to him that she is intriguing. Consuelo promises to leave Prussia, but so far she helps Amalia get in touch with Baron Trenk. To save the princess, Consuelo pretends to be the baron's beloved. The king orders to send the girl to prison.

Consuelo receives a note in which she is offered help, but she refuses. The harpsichord is brought to the prison with the permission of the king, and Consuelo can practice singing. She thinks she hears the sounds of a violin. Only Albert could play like that.

The girl is visited by one of the courtiers and talks about conspiracies against the king, believing that she also participates in them, but Consuelo denies everything. She is allowed to perform in the theater. Colleagues are afraid to approach the singer who has fallen out of favor, the audience does not applaud her, but suddenly a bouquet of flowers flies onto the stage.

Seeing that nothing can be achieved from the girl, the king takes the harpsichord from her at the end of the theatrical season. Princess Amalia falls seriously ill, and Trismesgist and the ghost of the Woman with a broom disappear from the palace.

Suddenly, Consuelo finds a cache in the cell and receives mysterious notes offering help. She wants to find out who is imprisoned in a nearby dungeon, and asks about this from the jailer's son, the ugly insane Gottlieb. Immediately, the girl receives a note stating that she will soon find out everything. With surprise, Consuelo opens the author of the notes - this is Gottlieb, reasoning like a normal person.

Consuelo receives, through Gottlieb, a note from the Invisible Society informing her that they are preparing an escape. Gottlieb explains that the Invisibles are a secret society that helps those in need and punishes evil. Nobody has ever seen these people.

With the help of the guards, Consuelo manages to escape. At large, the girl is supported by a mysterious stranger in a mask, for whom she begins to experience a strong feeling. From the guard Consuelo learns that the stranger wears a mask only with her. In some ways, he reminds her of Albert.

The fugitives make it to the border and are caught in a heavy downpour. The stranger becomes ill, but he does not let him take off his mask. In despair, Consuelo confesses his love to him.

The fugitives find refuge in a house belonging to the Unseen. The people around the girl also wear masks and do not let her out of the fence. The stranger recovers and leaves Consuelo giving her a declaration of love.

Consuelo receives letters from a stranger - he invites her to join the society of the Invisibles. Soon, the girl learns that the knight's name is Liverani and he is arrested for communicating with her.

Somehow practicing in singing, Consuelo again hears the sounds of a violin. Only Albert could play like that.

At the ceremony of Consuelo's entry into the society of the Unseen, an unknown person, closing his eyes to the girl, leads her into a hall that looks like a court. The judges sitting there and their entourage are dressed in masks and resemble ghosts. The judge asks Consuelo what her name is. She says her name. She has another one that she does not reveal to anyone. Those present leave the hall, and the girl is left alone with the judge, whom she calls him - Countess Rudolstadt. The judge asks Consuelo if she really thinks Albert is dead. If so, then the Invisibles who saved her will leave the girl. Confused Consuelo asks for time to think and wonders: can't a simple gypsy ask them for help?

Consuelo asks to spare the knight, but the judge assures that she does not need to worry about him.

A doctor comes to the sick Consuelo. It turns out to be the same doctor who was present at the death of Albert. The doctor believes that Consuelo fell into the hands of scammers who want to convince her that Albert is alive and take over the fortune of the Rudolstadt family. The girl is at a loss: she knows that Albert was lethargic, but how did the doctor not notice it?

Consuelo appears again before the judge. The judge asks if it is true that she has love for one of their knights, and what the girl will do if it turns out that she is not a widow. Consuelo replies that her passion is strong, but she will overcome it out of a sense of duty. The judge announces that Albert is alive. He knows the doctor's opinion, but he says it to justify himself.

Consuelo receives notes from the Knight Liverani, who pleads for a meeting. The confused girl decides on a date. She gets out of her captivity and ends up in an abandoned house, where she meets Baron Trenk and Albert. Consuelo hears Albert confess that he played the role of Trismegistus at court, was in prison next to Consuelo and helped her release. He loves Consuelo, but does not want to force a relationship with him. Albert knows that she loves Liverani and is happy about it.

Returning, Consuelo writes a letter to Liverani, in which he rejects him. But the knight persists in his feelings, and soon they meet. The knight brings the girl to the court of the Invisibles. She stands the test with honor and enters the society of the Unseen.

Consuelo is visited by a judge, to whom she confesses her feelings for Liverani and dislike for Albert. The judge opens up to the girl: she is a woman, the mother of Albert Wand, the Countess of Rudolstadt.

A young beautiful woman married without love to Albert's father. Fading away in her husband's house, she fell ill. The situation worsened when she fell in love with the family doctor. Somehow, in his absence, she began to have a seizure, the doctor present took it for death and buried her alive.

The countess's beloved, returning, secretly pulled the bodies out of the crypt to embalm him, realized that she was alive, and decided to take them away. Raised in religious principles, while still married, she could not become the doctor's wife, they live like brother and sister. To forget, they entered the society of the Unseen.

All Wanda's thoughts were always about her son Albert. Under the guise of his mother's friend, she met Albert, and then confessed that she was his mother. Wanda saw that Albert was prone to catalepsy.

While traveling, Albert met Baron Trenk. Having entered the society of the Invisibles, Albert, under an assumed name, visited the palace of the Prussian king, where Wanda also entered under the guise of a fortune-teller. They created the ghost of a Woman with a broom.

When Albert was buried, Wanda and her friend, the doctor, removed her son from the grave and brought him to this house. Gradually Albert recovered. He always thought of Consuelo. He heard rumors about the girl's relationship with the Prussian king. Albert came to the palace and found out the truth. He was always close to Consuelo and also ended up in prison. He is madly in love with his wife, but will not accept her sacrifice. Consuelo has to make a choice. In the bedroom she will find two outfits: wedding and funeral. The choice is hers.

Consuelo chooses a wedding dress. They come for her and take her away by boat along the river. Liverani joins them on the way. Consuelo hears Andzoletto's aria. She is offered to meet with him, but the girl refuses.

Consuelo faces the last test: she descends into the dungeon, where she sees those who died from torture, but did not renounce their faith. Having reached the end, Consuelo faints. Liverani picks her up. Consuelo renounces his love and calls herself Countess of Rudolstadt, wife of Albert. Liverani takes off his mask: this is Albert Rudolstadt.

Consuelo continues her career as an opera singer, touring theaters in Europe. Albert faithfully accompanies his wife. Children also travel with them.

Upon learning that his aunt is dying, Albert arrives in Prague disguised as a doctor. But he is recognized and arrested. Consuelo loses his voice from experiences. After several years of trial, Albert was released. He and Consuelo wander, giving music lessons.