The Nabob, Vol. 1 (of 2)

In Short

Set during the opulent and corrupt reign of Napoleon III, The Nabob follows Bernard Jansoulet, a boisterous, open-hearted Frenchman who returns to Paris after acquiring a staggering fortune in Tunis. Desperate for social legitimacy, political power, and a place among the elite, Jansoulet pours millions into philanthropic ventures, press campaigns, art patrons, and political bribery. Yet his wealth attracts a swarm of refined parasites, dishonest financiers, and deceitful social climbers who exploit his innocence. Alphonse Daudet’s novel remains a classic for its vivid, satirical portrait of a glittering society driven entirely by vanity, ambition, and financial speculation.

The Story

The narrative opens with Bernard Jansoulet, the "Nabob," arriving in Paris after making twenty million francs in the service of the Bey of Tunis. Warm-hearted, uneducated, and intensely proud of his humble origins as a brass-founder's son, Jansoulet craves acceptance in the capital. To navigate this new world, he surrounds himself with a entourage of advisors, including the suave fashion-doctor Doctor Jenkins, the aristocratic courtier Marquis de Monpavon, the cynical theatre director Cardailhac, and the opportunist journalist Moëssard. Unknown to Jansoulet, these men view him merely as a lucrative target for exploitation.

Jansoulet subsidizes the Caisse Territoriale, a dubious financial enterprise, and finances a fraudulent maternity charity organized by Jenkins called the Work of Bethlehem. He buys a palatial mansion, funds artistic commissions, and throws lavish dinners where guests ridicule his lack of polish behind his back. The only genuinely honest people in his orbit are his young, conscientious secretary, Paul de Géry, and the humble, imaginative clerk M. Joyeuse and his family, who recognize the Nabob's underlying goodness despite his ostentatious display.

Driven by ambition, Jansoulet sets his sights on two prizes that signify ultimate acceptance: the Legion of Honor and a seat in the French Chamber of Deputies as a representative for Corsica. Doctor Jenkins promises to secure the decoration through his influence at court, but when the official list is published, Jansoulet’s name is missing. The disappointment is compounded by the shadow of old Hemerlingue, a rival banker from Tunis who works relentlessly behind the scenes to destroy Jansoulet’s financial standing and political prospects.

Undeterred, Jansoulet directs his wealth toward buying a seat in Corsica. He spends lavishly across the island, funding church repairs, establishing asylums, and distributing money to local voters. Paul de Géry accompanies him, witnessing firsthand how the candidate's boundless generosity turns the election into a bought triumph. Back in Paris, complex romantic and social dramas unfold around them. The fiery, independent sculptress Felicia Ruys, courted by both the Duke of Mora and Doctor Jenkins, paints and sculpts Jansoulet while despising the hypocritical society that uses him. Meanwhile, Jenkins’ hidden cruelty and jealousy come to light, contrasting sharply with his public persona as a benevolent physician.

The volume culminates with Jansoulet winning his Corsican election through sheer expenditure, briefly reaching the summit of his political ambitions. Yet even as he celebrates victory, the web of financial deceit, personal rivalries, and institutional corruption tightens around him, setting the stage for an inevitable collision between his gullible idealism and the merciless realities of high society.

How It Unfolds

A grand entry into Paris Bernard Jansoulet arrives in the capital with an enormous fortune from Tunis, instantly becoming the talk of the town. He establishes an extravagant household and attracts a swarm of parasites who offer him social advancement in exchange for endless streams of cash.

The web of parasites Doctor Jenkins, a fashionable physician, draws Jansoulet into backing the Work of Bethlehem, a suspicious charity. Simultaneously, the fallen nobleman Monpavon and the skeptic Cardailhac involve the Nabob in speculative business schemes and theatrical ventures designed to drain his fortune.

An encounter with art and ambition Jansoulet agrees to sit for a bust by the brilliant, cynical sculptress Felicia Ruys. During these studio sessions, the contrasts of Parisian life emerge as high-ranking figures like the Duke of Mora visit, treating the Nabob with a mixture of polite fascination and underlying condescension.

The illusion of honor Anticipating a coveted spot on the Legion of Honor list, Jansoulet waits in eager expectation, only to discover his name has been excluded. Jenkins staging a dramatic, hypocritical show of sympathy does little to soften the blow, prompting Jansoulet to keep a closer audit of his squandering millions.

The Corsican campaign Realizing he needs official status to protect his interests, Jansoulet targets a vacant parliamentary seat in Corsica. Guided by crafty political agents, he travels the island, showering villages with gifts, funding public works, and purchasing votes from impoverished local officials to guarantee his victory.

The People

• Bernard Jansoulet (The Nabob) wants social legitimacy, public honors, and a recognized place in high society. His uncritical trust in false friends and his belief that money can buy respect stand between him and his goals. By the end of the volume, he secures an electoral victory, yet remains blind to the predatory nature of the people around him.
• Doctor Jenkins wants to maintain his position as Paris's premier fashion-physician while indulging a bitter, obsessive passion for Felicia Ruys. His hypocritical mask of charm and benevolence hides an unscrupulously cruel nature. He manipulates Jansoulet into funding his projects to enhance his own standing at court.
• Felicia Ruys wants artistic independence and freedom from the hypocritical conventions of Parisian society. Her sharp intellect and contempt for social pretense put her at odds with powerful men like Jenkins and the Duke of Mora. She treats the world with cynical detachment, working passionately on her art while refusing to be bought.
• Paul de Géry wants to protect his employer, Jansoulet, while securing a modest, honorable life for himself and winning the respect of the people he loves. His honesty and naive clear-sightedness contrast with the surrounding corruption, though his youth prevents him from stopping Jansoulet's financial ruin.
• M. Joyeuse wants to provide for his beloved daughters on a meager clerk's salary. A day-dreamer with an active imagination, his devotion to his family offers a heartwarming counterpoint to the cynical materialism of the capital.

In Its Own Voice

"The faces of these fashionable physicians become very expert in lying, by the bedsides of their wealthy patients."

Doctor Jenkins prepares to leave his home after reassuring his partner, stepping out into Paris while putting on the cheerful demeanor he uses to deceive the public.

"Ah! if one knew all the baseness, all the unheard-of, monstrous experiences that may be masked by a black coat, the most correct of your horrible modern garments!"

The artist Felicia Ruys openly mock Doctor Jenkins and his social circle, attacking the hypocrisy hidden beneath the elegant dress of upper-class men.

"If you should give a Corsican peasant his choice between the richest farm in Beauce and the baldric of the humblest forest-warden, he would not hesitate a moment, he would choose the baldric."

Paul de Géry writes back to Paris from Corsica, explaining the local obsession with official government titles that makes Jansoulet's political campaign so effective.

What It's Really About

At its core, The Nabob is an indictment of the moral decay generated by unbridled financial speculation and social ambition. Daudet exposes a world where human relationships are reduced to transactional exchanges, and where polish, title, and charm are used to mask total spiritual emptiness. Jansoulet’s tragic mistake is believing that wealth confers dignity; he fails to see that the aristocrats and financiers who accept his hospitality view him merely as an uncouth outsider to be exploited. The novel contrasts this corrupt high-life with the quiet integrity of modest working families, arguing that genuine affection and peace cannot survive in an environment ruled by vanity, political posturing, and greed.

Why Read It Today

The Nabob offers a colorful, highly atmospheric portrait of Second Empire Paris, filled with vivid detail, sharp dialogue, and satirical humor. Readers who enjoy rich social canvas novels—such as those by Balzac, Zola, or Thackeray—will appreciate Daudet's ability to capture the energy of a city obsessed with wealth and status. His writing combines clear-eyed social critique with moments of genuine warmth and comedy, particularly in the domestic scenes featuring the eccentric Joyeuse family.

Modern readers should be aware of a few period difficulties. The narrative moves through a large cast of characters and relies on familiarity with 19th-century French political structures, financial systems, and regional stereotypes. There are also brief glimpses of period attitudes regarding foreign cultures, particularly in descriptions of Tunis and Corsica. However, the central story of a gullible outsider eaten alive by sophisticated urban hustlers remains instantly recognizable, remarkably contemporary, and deeply compelling from start to finish.