The Law Inevitable

"The Law Inevitable" by Louis Couperus is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story follows Cornélie de Retz van Loo, a young divorced woman traveling in Rome, seeking solace and a fresh start in life. As she navigates her new environment, the novel explores themes of identity, societal constraints, and the complexity of human relationships, set against the backdrop of a vibrant yet complex city. At the start of the book, the reader is introduced to Cornélie as she arrives at the Marchesa Belloni's boarding house in Rome. A mix of excitement and trepidation fills her as she settles into her new surroundings, and the initial interactions with other boarders reveal a rich tapestry of personalities, including the charming Mr. Rudyard, who seems to have a hidden agenda. Cornélie’s observations about her fellow guests and her inner musings about her past and future gradually paint a portrait of a woman in search of meaning amidst her disillusionment with the art and society she hoped would provide her solace. The opening chapters set the stage for her journey of self-discovery, as she grapples with loneliness, cultural expectations, and her desire to forge a new path in life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Louis Marie-Anne Couperus was a Dutch novelist and poet. His oeuvre contains a wide variety of genres: lyric poetry, psychological and historical novels, novellas, short stories, fairy tales, feuilletons and sketches. Couperus is considered to be one of the foremost figures in Dutch literature. In 1923, he was awarded the Tollensprijs.