"L'absence" by Henri Ardel is a novel written in the early 20th century. It follows the long-distance engagement of the devoted colonial officer Pierre Chartrans and the captivating Parisian widow Jacqueline Nozales, testing love against absence, ambition, and the seductions of high society. Around them, Anne and Roger de Croissy provide a refined backdrop of marriage, flirtation, and quiet disillusion.
The opening of the novel shows a wrenching farewell as Pierre leaves Jacqueline for a demanding Indochinese post meant to win the advancement that will make their marriage possible; at the station she promises constancy and letters. Weeks later, after a successful ball, Jacqueline luxuriates in Pierre’s ardent, detailed letters from ship and Ceylon but prefers the homage to the substance and answers only briefly. Through her candid talk with the perceptive Anne de Croissy, we learn she loves being adored, avoids deep passion, and views marriage as security, while Pierre presses inland and writes tenderly from a Chinese river. At the theater, amid Roger de Croissy’s attentions, an impromptu invitation to Venice suddenly tempts Jacqueline, signaling that absence will soon meet strong temptations at home. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
