About this book
What happens when a man who lives for old books finds someone who needs him more?
Sylvestre Bonnard knows old manuscripts better than he knows the world outside his study. Gentle, forgetful and quietly vain about his learning, he longs to find a particular manuscript of the Golden Legend. At home, his outspoken housekeeper Thérèse keeps watch over him, while his cat Hamilcar receives his comic respect.
Then the memory of Clémentine, the woman Bonnard loves in his youth, draws him toward her granddaughter, Jeanne Alexandre. Alone in the world, Jeanne needs a protector. Her scheming guardian, Mouche, stands in the way of her happiness. In Anatole France’s short novel, a scholar’s quiet habits meet a duty that books alone cannot answer.
What you’ll discover
- A scholar worth knowing Meet an elderly man whose absent-minded ways sit beside deep learning and a good heart.
- The pull of old manuscripts Share Bonnard’s longing for a medieval book and the quiet intensity of his search.
- Affection with a sharp tongue Enjoy Thérèse’s practical care, outspoken scolding and steady affection for her bookish master.
- Memory becomes a duty Follow the thread from an old love to a young girl who needs help.
- Learning beyond the study Consider what knowledge is for when another person’s happiness calls for more than scholarship.
Who will love it
Este libro te encantará si disfrutas de las comedias amables, las bibliotecas antiguas, las calles de París y los personajes bondadosos, o si alguna vez has querido a un libro, un gato o una persona joven más de lo que esperabas.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Un catálogo altera una vida tranquila
- Los viejos anhelos son siempre un mismo anhelo
- Un viaje a Sicilia y una subasta perdida
- En Lusance aparecen un hada y Jeanne
- Bonnard cuenta la historia de su primer amor
- Una escuela fría y un tutor de sonrisa astuta
- Escándalo, fiebre y un rescate audaz
Who’s who
- Silvestre BonnardUn erudito parisino bondadoso y distraído que escribe el diario, ama los manuscritos antiguos y encuentra un nuevo propósito al proteger a una muchacha.
- Jeanne AlexandreUna huérfana, hija del amor perdido de Bonnard, vivaz, sincera y creativa, que desea ser amada y libre.
- TeresaLa anciana ama de llaves de Bonnard, sorda, severa y abnegada, que lo regaña sin cesar y vigila la casa como un general.
- AmílcarEl solemne gato de Bonnard, su único compañero por las noches, que juzga los discursos de su amo con un movimiento de orejas.
- Señora de GabryUna amiga amable y bondadosa de Jeanne que ayuda a Bonnard a orientarse y los acoge a ambos en su casa.
- GelisUn joven y brillante estudioso de documentos antiguos que antes se burlaba de Bonnard y después lo visita a menudo, atraído por Jeanne.
- Señorita PrefereLa directora de una sombría escuela de niñas, que admira los títulos, esconde su crueldad tras unos modales dulces y desea un marido famoso.
- Señor MoucheEl tutor de Jeanne, un notario de aspecto polvoriento y astuto que habla sin cesar de virtud mientras vela por sus propios intereses.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 13 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
El crimen de Sylvestre Bonnard in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.

El crimen de Sylvestre Bonnard
by Anatole France · 1881
Un erudito anciano busca un manuscrito perdido y luego arriesga su libertad para salvar a una muchacha de un internado cruel.
Medium level2–5 hours to read2 languages
Aprende un idioma con clásicos de nivel mediumEspañolFrancésAlemánItalianoJaponésPortuguésInglésCómo medimos los niveles
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
What would you give for a single old book? Sylvestre Bonnard, a gentle scholar of Paris, would give almost everything he owns.
El crimen de Sylvestre Bonnard de un vistazo
- Tiempo de lectura
- Unas 4 h 25 min3 h 30 min fast, 5 h 15 min slow
- Duración
- 62.900 palabras
- Nivel en la biblioteca
- Mediano longer sentences, everyday words
- Primera publicación
- 1881by Anatole France
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). Cuánto se tarda en leer los clásicos · Actualizado
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Un catálogo altera una vida tranquila
El diario comienza en la Nochebuena de 1849. Silvestre Bonnard está junto al fuego, en bata y zapatillas. El hielo dibuja helechos en las ventanas. Amílcar, acurrucado en un cojín, lo mira con los ojos entrecerrados.
Lo interrumpe Coccoz, un vendedor de libros pálido y menudo, con un paquete de libros amarillos baratos. Bonnard se burla de todos, pero se avergüenza al ver su desánimo. Compra una novela pastoril que no quiere y descubre que Coccoz vive en el desván con su esposa, que acaba de dar a luz. No tienen leña ni comida.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Has visto
¿Qué edición es la adecuada para mí?
- 15-minute summary
- Las ideas clave de todo el libro en unos 13 minutos. Una buena introducción o un repaso.
Detalles
- First published
- 1881
- Language
- Español
- Reading time
- 5 h 5 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cita esta edición
France, Anatole. The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-crime-of-sylvestre-bonnard.
France, A. (2026). The crime of Sylvestre Bonnard. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-crime-of-sylvestre-bonnard (Original work published 1881)
France, Anatole. The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-crime-of-sylvestre-bonnard.
@book{france2026crime,
author = {France, Anatole},
title = {The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-crime-of-sylvestre-bonnard},
note = {First published 1881}
}
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about El crimen de Sylvestre Bonnard
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
¿De qué trata El crimen de Silvestre Bonnard?
Sigue a un anciano erudito parisino que busca un manuscrito medieval perdido y después encuentra a la hija de la mujer que amó. Decide protegerla, y el crimen del título es un acto de rescate.
¿Por qué se titula El crimen de Silvestre Bonnard?
Bonnard saca a una muchacha de un internado de noche para salvarla del trato cruel que recibe. Según la ley, esto constituye sustracción de una menor, de modo que un acto bondadoso se convierte en un delito castigable. El título juega con esa ironía.
¿Quién es Jeanne en El crimen de Silvestre Bonnard?
Jeanne Alexandre es una huérfana, hija de Clementina, el primer amor de Bonnard, y de un banquero arruinado. Es vivaz, sincera y hábil con las manos. Hace pequeñas figuras de cera, como un hada y un san Jorge.
More by Anatole France
Ver todos sus librosMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing






















