The Aunts

‘The Aunts’ is a classic novel about the tragedy of a petit-bourgeois family in the early 20th century. In the Dufour family, everything revolves around the suffocating influence of Aunt Clemence, Aunt Estelle and Aunt Victoire. They dominate the household with their wealth and their sanctimonious morals. Father and son Max are constantly on their guard and daughters Clara, Adrienne and Esmée are well on the way to becoming vipers, too.

This literary tale is, above all, an indictment against the oppressive class-ridden society of the time, but the melodramatic highpoints (occasionally reminiscent of a well-written soap or serial) and the cynical tone in which the narrator portrays his characters will effortlessly fascinate today’s reader.