Vendetta
Vendetta, written by Honoré de Balzac and published in 1830, is part of his larger work, La Comédie humaine. The novel follows Ginevra di Piombo, a young woman caught between her family's vendetta against the Porta family and her love for Luigi Porta, the son of their enemies. This complex narrative explores themes of love, loyalty, and the burdens of familial obligations, set against the backdrop of Corsican revenge and societal integration in post-Napoleonic France. Balzac's work reflects the intricate dynamics of personal and familial conflict, influenced by earlier literary themes of vengeance.
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“Some sentiment other than love united these two beings, and inspired with mutual anxiety their movements and their thoughts. Misery is, perhaps, the most powerful of all ties.””
— Honoré de Balzac
“Nothing is more mortifying to young girls, or, indeed, to all the world, than to see a piece of mischief, an insult, or a biting speech, miss its effect through the contempt or the indifference of the intended victim. It seems as if hatred to an enemy grows in proportion to the height that enemy is raised above us.””
— Honoré de Balzac
