Cosmopolis — Complete

"Cosmopolis — Complete" by Paul Bourget is a story set in the late 1800s that studies the complexities of life in a world where cultures mix, using European cities as the setting, and focusing on characters wrestling with both modern problems and old-fashioned beliefs. Starting in Rome, the book introduces different people and examines the connection between who they are, where they belong, and how they are affected by money and social changes. The story kicks off in an old bookstore, where regular customers chat with the odd owner, Ribalta. One of them is Marquis de Montfanon, who trades clever jokes with Ribalta while hunting for old papers, setting the scene to explore characters more carefully, like Montfanon, who is dealing with old political views and his feelings for Baron Hafner's daughter, Fanny. The story hints at underlying tensions dealing with relationships, social class, and personal identity inside the cosmopolitan context through Montfanon's strong beliefs about modernness and mixed backgrounds.