The rich life of Chateaubriand perhaps is here a pretext to try to understand the inextricable attraction that it managed to cause in women. And try to understand at the same time how such a devout Catholic was able to combine his overwhelming passion for the fairer sex and real attachment to the Church; cruel dilemma that only someone like Chateaubriand could grow to a climax. And this Ormesson manages to draw about a mesmerizing vitality, undeniable charm, a dazzling culture. His writing, always malicious, is not confined to a sort of copy and paste dear to some authors, but invests in passionate and light manner, highlighting the life of an endearing personality, but definitely a another century.
As mentioned in the 4th well, this book is it the portrait of a seducer by a writer, or perhaps the opposite, as Ormesson proves full of charm that makes each of his books excruciatingly attractive.
