The Memoirs of a Physician by Alexandre Dumas

Description

The Memoirs of a Physician is a book by Alexandre Dumas, first published between 1846 and 1848. This sweeping historical novel (the first of Dumas' Marie Antoinette novels) introduces the charismatic and enigmatic protagonist Joseph Balsamo, also known by the alias Count Cagliostro, whose dazzling rise from humble origins to prominence in European courts serves as the central thread that binds political upheaval, mystery, and intrigue. The book reflects the author’s vivid flair for dramatic pacing and rich historical detail, situating its narrative in a tumultuous period of French society and aristocratic decay on the eve of major social change. In this thrilling and atmospheric tale, the narrative follows Joseph Balsamo’s complex journey as he manipulates hidden agendas, courts influential figures and intrigues across the French courts, weaving a web of occult mystique, social ambition, and shadowy power. The story is rooted in a richly evoked 18th-century European setting, blending real historical events and personalities with fictional drama and conspiracies. Throughout the novel, readers are treated to Dumas’s trademark sweeping adventure, political machinations, romantic entanglements and secrets of high society, all while Joseph Balsamo remains an ambiguous and magnetic figure whose motivations and influence ripple through the lives of others. The book’s sense of suspense, larger-than-life characters, and its portrayal of pre-revolutionary France make it a cornerstone of classic historical fiction. This edition (taken from 'The Works of Alexandre Dumas in Thirty Volumes') includes both volumes (usually published as Joseph Balsamo and Memoirs of a Physician) and is the full unabridged version which also includes a book sometimes published separately; The Mesmerist's Victim."

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