MONIQUE

A man in conflict with his feelings and the prejudices of the time. In *Alexis, or the Trait of Vain Combat*, Marguerite Yourcenar, the first woman to preside over the French Academy and one of the last ladies of world literature, blends subtlety and erudition to tell, in a classic style, a breakup. It's the end of the relationship between Monique and her young husband, Alexis, who leaves her after the birth of their first child, after three years of marriage. "Forgive me, not for leaving you, but for staying too long." He wants to start a new life, become a pianist, break with lies, and surrender to the instinct that draws him to men.