Masked Lover

This unusual novella by Honoré de Balzac was created as a gift for the Duchess de Dino. Like other artists, Balzac was a regular guest of the noble family, and the book has been preserved only in manuscript form with a personal dedication. The book was first published in 1911. Unlike most of Balzac's books, it does not focus on social commentary and in 1939 it became the basis for a Czech film by director Otakar Vávra, starring Lída Baarová. The text was digitised from the 1947 edition.