This is Bel Ami aka Dear Friend, in Russian translation, which was the only one I had readily available when I was in between books :) . I read it before, but couldn’t remember details or much of the plot, frankly. What can I say? Not much… Young, ambitious, and dirt poor, George weaves his net, like a spider, around Paris, catching in it influential women and using them as stepping stones in enhancing his career and social status. When I read it in high school, I thought it was sexy, but now it More...