Status Updates From Бел-Ами

Finished part 1. Madame de Forestier is quite the woman. Her explanation of marriage to Duroy seems quite feminist relative to this time period and she seemed principled and talented. No wonder Duroy is falling for her, though dropping the idea of marriage in the same room as her dead husband is quite the bold move

Poor Clotilde... but Duroy wasn't being entirely malicious. Why he brought his lover to the theatre where his prostitute Rachel was is beyond me though. What a boneheaded moved, even with the reasoning that he could get a box for free.