Character guide

Ginevra di Piombo

major

Also known as Mademoiselle Piombo, Mademoiselle Ginevra, Ginevra, Piombo

A proud Corsican woman who defies her father for love.

Emilie de Fontaine

major

Also known as Mademoiselle Emilie de Fontaine, Fontaine, Emilie, Mademoiselle de Fontaine

A haughty young noblewoman who learns humility through love.

Gaston de Nueil

major

Also known as M. le Baron Gaston de Nueil, Gaston, M. de Nueil, de Nueil

A young baron who falls in love with a mysterious woman.

Augustine Guillaume

major

Also known as Mademoiselle Augustine Guillaume, Augustine, Mademoiselle Guillaume, poor Augustine

A naive young woman married off for business reasons.

Hippolyte Schinner

major

Also known as Schinner, Hippolyte

A talented painter who discovers love and betrayal.

Derville

major

Also known as M. Derville, Monsieur Derville, dear M. Derville

A shrewd lawyer involved in several clients' dramatic lives.

Pierre Grassou

major

Also known as Fougères, Grassou, Pierre Grassou of Fougères, Pierre, poor Fougères

A mediocre painter who achieves success through persistence.

Honorine

major

Also known as the absent Honorine, the Comtesse Honorine, Comtesse Honorine

A countess who fled her marriage seeking independence.

Colonel Chabert

major

Also known as Chabert, poor Chabert, the Colonel, the said Chabert, Hyacinthe Comte Chabert

A presumed-dead Napoleonic colonel fighting to reclaim his identity.

Popinot

major

Also known as M. Popinot, M. d’Espard, Judge Popinot, Jean-Jules Popinot

A compassionate judge who uncovers a family's dark secrets.

Madame de Beauséant

supporting

Also known as Mme. de Beauséant, de Beauséant, the Vicomtesse de Beauséant, la Vicomtesse

A noblewoman who retreats from society after heartbreak.

Adam Laginski

major

Also known as Count Adam Mitgislas Laginski, Count Adam, Adam Mitgislas Laginski, Laginski

A Polish count living in Paris with a hidden passion.

Clémentine Laginski

supporting

Also known as Clémentine, Clémentine Laginski, Laginski

The beautiful and virtuous wife of Count Adam.

Madame Firmiani

supporting

Also known as Firmiani, Madame, the real Firmiani

A mysterious and virtuous woman who inspires devotion.

Martial de la Roche-Hugon

supporting

Also known as Baron Martial de la Roche-Hugon, the Baron Martial de la Roche-Hugon, the Baron de la Roche-Hugon

A baron entangled in a scandalous domestic situation.

Horace Bianchon

supporting

Also known as Bianchon, Horace, Doctor Bianchon, Doctor Horace Bianchon

A brilliant and kind doctor who appears in several stories.

Paz

supporting

Also known as Count Paz, the Paz, Captain Paz, Poor Paz, Thaddeus Paz

A devoted Polish friend who secretly loves Clémentine.

Thaddeus of Warsaw

supporting

Also known as Warsaw, Thaddeus, poor Thaddeus, Thaddeus of Warsaw

A Polish exile living in Paris with a tragic past.

Gobseck

major

Also known as Daddy Gobseck, Grandaddy Gobseck, M. Gobseck, Papa Gobseck

A miserly usurer who controls the fates of his clients.

Caroline Crochard

supporting

Also known as Caroline, Caroline Crochard, Mademoiselle de Bellefeuille

A young woman who becomes a baron's mistress.

Bartolomeo di Piombo

supporting

Also known as Bartolomeo, Piombo, the Piombo, a Piombo, little Bartolomeo

A fierce Corsican father who values family honor above all.

Eugène de Rastignac

supporting

Also known as Rastignac, Eugène, Monsieur Eugène

An ambitious young nobleman navigating Parisian society.

Comtesse de Merret

supporting

Also known as the late Comtesse de Merret, the late Madame de Merret, Madame de Merret, Madame la Comtesse de Merret

A countess whose secret past is revealed after her death.

Comte de Fontaine

supporting

Also known as The Comte de Fontaine, Monsieur de Fontaine, Fontaine, Monsieur le Comte de Fontaine

A royalist father concerned with his daughters' marriages.

Guillaume

supporting

Also known as Madame Guillaume, old Guillaume, father Guillaume, Monsieur Guillaume

A draper who arranges his daughters' marriages for profit.

Louis-Gaston

minor

Also known as Louis-Gaston, Louis

The son of Gaston de Nueil and his abandoned wife.

Desplein

supporting

Also known as M. Desplein, The great Desplein, the great Desplein

A famous surgeon who hides a secret act of charity.

Colonel Luigi

supporting

Also known as Luigi, dear Luigi, the Porta, little Luigi, Luigi Porta

A Corsican colonel seeking vengeance for his family.

Monsieur Roger

minor

Also known as the gentleman Monsieur Roger, Roger

A gentleman involved in a tragic love affair.

Madame d'Espard

supporting

Also known as the late lamented Madame Popinot, Madame d’Espard, Popinot, Madame Popinot

A manipulative noblewoman who schemes against her husband.

Malaga

minor

Also known as Poor Malaga

A dancer and courtesan in the Parisian demimonde.

Madame Willemsens

supporting

Also known as Mme. Willemsens, Willemsens, Mme, Marie Willemsens

A mysterious woman living in seclusion with her son.

Napoleon

minor

Also known as the Emperor Napoleon

The Emperor of France, referenced as a historical figure.

Adélaïde

minor

A young woman caught in a family dispute over inheritance.

Marquise de Listomère

minor

Also known as Madame de Listomère, Madame, Madame la Marquise de Listomère, Marquise

A noblewoman who hosts a salon and observes society.

Bourgeat

minor

Also known as good Bourgeat

A humble water-carrier who inspires a famous surgeon.

Joseph Lebas

minor

Also known as Joseph, Lebas, the luckless Joseph, young Lebas

A clerk who marries above his station.

Madame de Vaudremont

minor

Also known as de Vaudremont

A society woman involved in a scandalous affair.

Rosalie

minor

Also known as Rose Chapotel, Madame Rose Chapotel

A servant who becomes a key witness in a legal case.

Ernest de Restaud

minor

Also known as Ernest, de Restaud, Ernest de Restaud

The son of a countess, involved in family financial ruin.

Monsieur de Marsay

minor

Also known as de Marsay, the illustrious de Marsay

A dandy and politician who appears in several stories.

Madame de Granville

minor

Also known as Granville, poor Granville

A neglected wife who seeks solace outside marriage.

Octave de Camps

minor

Also known as Octave, Monsieur Octave de Camps, Monsieur de Camps

A young man who marries a woman with a hidden past.

Comte de Merret

minor

Also known as Monsieur le Comte de Merret, Monsieur de Merret, Monsieur le Comte

A vengeful husband who discovers his wife's infidelity.

Virginie

minor

Also known as Mademoiselle Virginie, Virginie Vervelle

The daughter of a wealthy bourgeois family.

Elias Magus

minor

Also known as Ulysses, Magus, Elias, old Elias

An old Jewish art dealer and usurer.

Maximilien Longueville

minor

Also known as Longueville, a Longueville, Maximilien, this Maximilien

A young man in love with a woman of higher rank.

Godeschal

minor

Also known as Monsieur Godeschal

A law clerk who assists Derville.

Comtesse Ferraud

supporting

Also known as Madame la Comtesse, Madame Ferraud, the Comtesse Ferraud, Ferraud

The former wife of Colonel Chabert who remarried.

Count Férédia

minor

Also known as The Count, the Count, Count

A count involved in a duel over a woman's honor.

Madame Crochard

minor

Also known as Crochard

The mother of Caroline Crochard.

Montcornet

minor

Also known as Colonel Montcornet, General Montcornet

A Napoleonic general who becomes a landowner.

Madame Gobain

minor

Also known as Gobain

Gobseck's housekeeper.

Julia

minor

Also known as Juliette

A young woman in a story about a lost message.

Angélique Bontems

minor

Also known as Mademoiselle Angélique Bontems, Angélique, old Bontems, Mademoiselle Bontems

A young woman who marries a man she does not love.

Camille Maupin

minor

Also known as Camille

A famous writer and salonnière.

Monsieur de Sommervieux

supporting

Also known as Sommervieux, Thédore de Sommervieux

A painter who marries Augustine Guillaume.

Madame de Sommervieux

minor

Also known as Sommervieux

The wife of the painter Sommervieux.

Vicomte de Granville

minor

Also known as Granville, young Granville

A young nobleman who marries unhappily.

Servin

minor

Also known as Madame Servin, Monsieur Servin

A painter and his wife who host a young artist.

Laure

minor

Also known as Mademoiselle Laure, little Laure

A young girl who helps her mother in a draper's shop.

Maurice

minor

Also known as Monsieur Maurice

A servant in the household of the Comtesse Honorine.

Comte Ferraud

minor

Also known as M. Ferraud, Ferraud, M. le Comte Ferraud, the Comte Ferraud

The second husband of Colonel Chabert's wife.

Marquis d'Espard

minor

Also known as M. le Marquis, M. le Marquis d’Espard, M. d’Espard, The Marquis, the Marquis

A nobleman seeking a commission in lunacy against his wife.

Comte de Soulanges

minor

Also known as Soulanges, The Comte de Soulanges

A count involved in a domestic scandal.

Comtesse de Soulanges

minor

Also known as Soulanges, The Comtesse de Soulanges, Madame de Soulanges

The wife of the Comte de Soulanges.

Boucard

minor

Also known as Daddy Boucard

A clerk in Derville's law office.

Marguerite Turquet

minor

A courtesan known as Malaga.

Simonnin

minor

Also known as rascal Simonnin

A young clerk in Gobseck's office.

Fanny Malvaut

minor

Also known as France, Fanny

A virtuous young woman who marries a painter.

Vicomtesse de Grandlieu

minor

Also known as de Grandlieu, The Vicomtesse de Grandlieu

A noblewoman who advises her daughter on marriage.

Amélie Thirion

minor

Also known as Mademoiselle Amélie Thirion, Amélie, Amélie Thirion, Mademoiselle Thirion

A maid who testifies in a legal case.

Roguin

minor

Also known as Madame Roguin, Monsieur Roguin

A notary and his wife involved in financial scandal.

Mathilde Roguin

minor

Also known as Mademoiselle Mathilde Roguin, Mathilde

The daughter of a notary.

Mademoiselle des Touches

minor

Also known as mademoiselle, Mademoiselle

A wealthy woman who hosts literary salons.

Madame Vervelle

minor

Also known as Vervelle, Little father Vervelle, M. Vervelle, father Vervelle

A bourgeois couple who commission a portrait.

Comte de Granville

minor

Also known as Granville

A magistrate who appears in several stories.

Madame de Lansac

minor

Also known as de Lansac

An elderly noblewoman who advises a young countess.

Madame de Sérizy

minor

Also known as de Sérizy, Madame

A society woman who helps Colonel Chabert.