Camille by Alexandre Dumas (Vintage 1955 Hardcover)

“Camille” is a play written by Alexandre Dumas fils, the son of the renowned French author Alexandre Dumas père. First performed in 1852, “Camille” is based on Dumas’ own novel “La Dame aux Camélias” (“The Lady of the Camellias”), which was published in 1848.

The play tells the tragic story of Marguerite Gautier, a beautiful and extravagant courtesan living in Paris. Despite her lavish lifestyle, Marguerite longs for true love and happiness. She meets and falls deeply in love with Armand Duval, a young bourgeois man, but their relationship is complicated by social conventions, jealousy, and misunderstandings.

As their love affair unfolds, Marguerite’s health begins to deteriorate, and she is eventually forced to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of Armand’s reputation and future. The play explores themes of love, sacrifice, social class, and the hypocrisy of bourgeois society.

“Camille” is renowned for its emotional intensity, compelling characters, and dramatic plot twists. It has been adapted into numerous stage productions, ballets, operas, and films over the years, and remains one of the most enduring and beloved works of French literature.