Jean-Christophe, Volume I

"Jean-Christophe, Volume I" by Romain Rolland is a story that examines the beginnings of a musical prodigy named Jean-Christophe growing up in Europe at the start of the 1900s. The story follows Jean-Christophe from when he is a baby all the way to his teenage years, capturing important moments in his life and illustrating the complicated relationships with people in his family, with a focus on his grandfather, father, and mother. Old Jean-Michel is happy and encouraging, but also can be difficult in his interactions with the other members of the family. Jean-Christophe's father, Melchior, is a musician full of ambition, but struggles with drinking. All of this shapes Jean-Christophe's understanding of who he is, what society expects from him, and his goals as a musical artist, foreshadowing the book's larger exploration into being an individual in opposition to society.