Finished: Cousin Bette (de Balzac). Another interesting de Balzac book from his Le Comedie Humaine. I found this one in a tiny used book store in Canon Beach, Oregon. Sigh, another nice memory of vacation! I love how so many of de Balzac's books refer to, or even include in scenes, many of the same characters. In Cousin Bette, though, recurring characters are only referred to and the action centers around Baron Hector Hulot, his beautiful, kind and virtuous wife, Adeline, and her less beautiful, spiteful, and very vengeful cousin, Lisbeth, or Bette. Jealous of all that Adeline has, Bette encourages the roving eye of Hector. Hector, who has already spent half his fortune on one mistress, becomes enchanted by the young and beautiful Valerie Marneffe, and ends up going into debt, ruining the lives of his own wife, son and daughter, being responsible for the death of his brother and his brother-in-law, and becoming destitute...all in the name of chasing after the younger woman who just strings him along for the money. Bette, having become best friends with Valerie, schemes and plots with her, as this is the perfect revenge she can take on the family...especially since Hector and Adeline's beautiful and kind daughter, Hortense, falls in love with Wecuslus, the young, equally attractive artist that Bette has been hiding away and supporting with her own money. Bette, however, is old enough to be his mother. She can't accept it when he falls in love with Hortense and they marry. She encourages Valerie to entice Wenceslas with her charms as well, and soon both marriages are on the rocks. Throw in the creepy, but rich, Crevel who used to be friends with the Baron, until the Baron stole HIS mistress from under his nose...the woman the Baron had an affair with before Valerie. With Bette and Crevel both seeking vengeance, and Valerie seeking money, and Hector willing to throw everything away, including his family, for the "woman he loves", it doesn't take long for circumstances to become dire. As Hector sinks to his lowest lows, through it all, Adeline remains dignified, loving and respected. She refuses an offer to become the mistress of the very rich Crevel in exchange for him settling all their hundreds of thousands of francs worth of debts. She actually never gives up hope in wanting Hector to come back to the family. She never scolds him or causes any scenes. Their son, Victorin, is like his mother and sister, and is a level-headed young attorney. He takes on most of his father's debts. By the end, Valerie has strung one too many lovers along and is killed by a Brazilian who had waited for her for three years. She dies an ugly, leprosy-like death from a virus-like substance he gives her. Crevel, by that time Valerie's new husband, also dies from the contagious disease. Hector runs off with his tail between his legs to skirt his debts. He changes his name and goes into hiding, but still keeps up his womanizing ways. Cousin Bette knows where he is at all times, but never lets the searching Adeline know. Finally, goodness and family perseveres. Victorin is able to pay off his father's debts and make a decent living that he, his wife and child, his mother and his abandoned sister and her child can live on. Wenceslas comes back home with his tail between his legs and remains the lazy artist who never makes another good piece of work, now that his wife has some money left to her, ironically, by the death of Valerie. Bette, dies a death of consumption, surrounded by the family that she detested, though they never knew it.  She dies in extreme unhappiness knowing how happy they have all become. Finally, Adeline finds Hector and he comes home to the family! Everyone is happy, or so it seems for about six months...until one day Adeline hears Hector telling the kitchen maid that his wife probably won't live much longer and then he can marry her and she'll be a Baroness! Say what?? After all the forgiveness and non-judgement he received from his family, and especially Adeline? Adeline dies of a broken heart. And, sure enough, the Baron runs off and marries the kitchen maid. At least he is out of the lives of his children! As usual, the de Balzac writing is witty and great. :-) I'm sure I'll read even more of his books. It would be really nice to read the entire Le Comedie Humaine in order, but that in itself would probably take an entire year. I've got to move on to some other books!