First published in the US in 1933. The masterpiece of one of the greatest modern Catholic writers – a novel told in the form of a confessional letter, this is the story of Monsieur Louis, an embittered, aging lawyer who has spread his misery to his entire estranged family. Louis writes to explain to them, and to himself, why his soul has been deformed, why his heart seems like a foul nest of twisted serpents. Mauriac's novel masterfully explores the corruption caused by pride, avarice, and hatred, and its opposite — the divine grace that remains available to each of us until the very moment of our deaths. It is the unforgettable tale of the battle for one man's soul.