"George Sand was a 19th century French novelist known not only for her novels but even more for her scandalous behavior. After leaving her estranged husband, Sand moved to Paris where she wrote, wore men's clothing, smoked cigars, and had love affairs with famous men and an actress named Marie. In an era of incredible artistic talent, Sand was the most famous female writer of her time. Her lovers and friends included Frederic Chopin, Gustave Flaubert,...

The authorized biography of the most important man of letters in twentieth century France: André Malraux, French novelist, art theorist, and France's Minister of Cultural Affairs.

Michel Winock situates Flaubert in France's century of great democratic transition. Wary of the masses, Flaubert rejected universal suffrage, but above all he hated the vulgar, ignorant bourgeoisie, a class that embodied every vice of the democratic age. His loathing became a fixation--and a source of literary inspiration.--

"What Marcel Proust wanted from life most of all was unconditional requited love, and the way he went after it -- smothering the objects of his affection with gifts -- cost him a fortune. To pay for such extravagance, he engaged in daring speculations on the stock exchange. The task of his cousin and financial adviser, Lionel Hauser, was to make sure these speculations would not go sour. In Proust and His Banker, Gian Balsamo reveals that Proust was...

Judith Ralitzer, novelist and femme fatale, is seeking characters for her next best-seller. Meanwhile, a serial killer has just escaped from a high security prison. Their paths are about to cross.