With Pauline, Dumas delivers a novel steeped in romance and truly grounded in its era. The author goes even further, placing himself within the characters of his novel, his companions, and Parisian life of that time. Unlike many of Dumas's novels, the historical and political context is entirely absent here (despite the numerous upheavals that characterized this period). The author also abandons his usual legendary heroes; in Pauline, the protagonists are not Genghis Khans, but rather young people suffering from the "scourge of the century": they represent disillusioned and idle romantic youth; wealthy young people with no activities other than balls, travel, and performances, and above all, no ambitions to steer them; they desperately seek an outlet for their passions. Here, successive narrative threads intertwine, slowly revealing Pauline's grave and terrifying secret. At the same time, Dumas's innovative narrative technique is revealed, as if he transcends his era to find his place among the experiences of the greatest contemporary novelists. What will become of Pauline de Moulins? How will she live her life amidst the refined, aristocratic French society? And to what end will the vile intrigues and her heart, overflowing with noble love, lead her?