The Lady of the Camellias

"The Lady of the Camellias" — a novel by Alexandre Dumas fils about issues that were not openly discussed by everyone in the mid-19th century. It is a book about the love of the mortally ill Marguerite Gautier, a woman of the demi-monde, for the young and romantic Armand Duval, a love that is passionate, tragic, and doomed.
The story, inspired by the author's feelings for Marie Duplessis, is a model of psychological literature of unparalleled depth. The image of the Parisian courtesan on stage was embodied by the great actress Sarah Bernhardt, and in cinema, by the world-famous star Greta Garbo. The premiere of the play based on the novel was attended by composer G. Verdi, who later composed the famous opera "La Traviata" based on "The Lady of the Camellias."