Story which centers on the plight of a young couple who were unable to have children for a period of 6 years. When the wife finally conceives their obsession with having the "perfect" baby results in creating a hopeless situation for the couple.
Ostensibly a satirical look at psychoanalysis and its practitioners, this novel is also a serious social critique of modern man. Camon's narrator consults a series of therapists, searching for the source of his mysterious maladies. Camon draws parallels between his narrator's experiences and the experiences of Man in a morally disintegrating Italy. From his depcitions of pompous therapists to his analysis of the intersection of church and state, Camon's wit and wisdom shine.
Esta novela es uno de los casos más característicos de la forma de escribir de Honore de Balzac. Escrita en tan sólo 72 horas(pese a las sucesivas correcciones realizadas en las posteriores ediciones, prueba sin duda de un perfeccionismo extremo), la obra sigue una estructura sencilla: un mínimo progreso de la acción principal, continuamente detenida por una extensa y prolija charla moralizante en la que se codifica la ideología política-social del autor por estos años.
