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What remains of a nobleman's worth when his fortune disappears and he must serve the world he once belonged to?
Family debts strip Maxime Odiot of the comfortable life he expects. Determined to keep his honor, the young nobleman leaves Paris for Brittany and takes work as steward at the Laroque estate. He manages land and accounts while concealing the rank that once defined his place in society.
There he meets Marguerite, the proud, clever daughter of the house, whose wealth puts her far above the hired steward. As love grows, Maxime's hidden identity makes silence costly. In The Romance of a Poor Young Man, Octave Feuillet asks what a good name means when money seems to decide everything.
What you’ll discover
- Honor under pressure Follow a ruined young man who must earn his living without surrendering his self-respect.
- Love across class lines Meet Marguerite, a wealthy heiress drawn to a steward who is more than he seems.
- The burden of concealment Feel the tension of noble birth kept hidden within a household Maxime must serve.
- A world measured by wealth Explore a society where money shapes choices, and character offers a different measure of worth.
- A gentle emotional pull Settle into polished storytelling that keeps Maxime's feelings and difficult position close at hand.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy love stories built on pride and scruple, journals that sound like a living voice, and the misty landscapes of old Brittany.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Ruin turns love into responsibility
- Maxime refuses to sell his name
- Accepting kindness takes courage too
- Honesty earns respect and makes enemies
- Respect gives an unlikely friendship room
- A rescue makes love impossible to ignore
- A confession briefly breaks through mistrust
- Honor is both strength and trap
- Two proud hearts struggle with money
Who’s who
- Maxime OdiotBorn Maxime de Champcey d'Hauterive, he is a ruined young marquis who works as a steward under a plain name to protect his sister.
- Marguerite LaroqueThe beautiful, proud heiress who mocks tenderness because she fears that no one could love her for herself rather than her fortune.
- Monsieur LaubépinThe old family notary, formal and shrewd, who tests Maxime's honesty and quietly arranges his place in Brittany.
- Mademoiselle de PorhoëtAn eighty-eight-year-old noblewoman who chases a Spanish inheritance and dreams of the cathedral she will build with it.
- Madame LaroqueMarguerite's Creole mother, who longs for poverty and sacrifice while surrounding herself with cushions, and who grows fond of Maxime.
- Monsieur de BévallanA wealthy, boastful neighbor who courts Marguerite and expects to win her hand and her fortune.
- Mademoiselle HélouinThe clever, resentful governess who is stung by Maxime's refusal and who looks for a way to repay him.
- HélèneMaxime's young sister, who lives at a convent school, knows nothing of the family's ruin, and is the reason he works.
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The Romance of a Poor Young Man
by Octave Feuillet · 1858
A ruined marquis hides his title in Brittany and falls for an heiress whom his solemn oath prevents him from marrying.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
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In short
A young marquis sits in a bare Paris room in April, staring at a cold hearth, and promises to write down his life without a single lie. Within a few pages his father lies dead on a drawing room floor, the family fortune is gone, and a little sister waits in a convent school.
The Romance of a Poor Young Man at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 50 min3 h 5 min fast, 4 h 35 min slow
- Length
- 55,000 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1858by Octave Feuillet
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A ruined marquis starts a truthful journal
Maxime begins his journal on a cold April evening in a miserable Paris room. He promises to write without lies, so that the pages can serve as a brother and a second conscience.
His father is a dazzling horseman and gambler, charming in society and gloomy at home. His gentle mother dies after asking him to forgive the weak and look after his sister Hélène.
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Details
- First published
- 1858
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 4 h 20 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Feuillet, Octave. The Romance of a Poor Young Man. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-romance-of-a-poor-young-man.
Feuillet, O. (2026). The romance of a poor young man. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-romance-of-a-poor-young-man (Original work published 1858)
Feuillet, Octave. The Romance of a Poor Young Man. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-romance-of-a-poor-young-man.
@book{feuillet2026romance,
author = {Feuillet, Octave},
title = {The Romance of a Poor Young Man},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-romance-of-a-poor-young-man},
note = {First published 1858}
}
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What is The Romance of a Poor Young Man about?
It follows Maxime, a young French marquis who loses his fortune and takes a post as steward in Brittany under a plain name. There he meets an eccentric family and an heiress whose pride matches his own.
Who is Maxime Odiot in the novel?
Maxime Odiot is the hero and the author of the journal. His real name is Maxime de Champcey d'Hauterive, but he drops his title after his father's death and uses only the plain family name Odiot.
Who is Marguerite Laroque?
Marguerite is the beautiful, proud daughter of a rich Breton family of Creole and Breton descent. She mocks tenderness because she fears that suitors want only her money, and she keeps a Newfoundland dog named Mervyn.
The author
Octave Feuillet
1821–1890 · French novelist and playwright
Octave Feuillet was a French novelist and playwright, born in Saint-Lô in 1821. He lived in France and died in Paris in 1890. He wrote novels and plays, including The Romance of a Poor Young Man, published in 1858. He was elected to the Académie française in 1862.
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