Résumé
The novel follows a character named Lélia, who the author describes as a "poetic essay" and a "fantasque novel" where the characters are not entirely real. The text explores themes of existential doubt and suffering, as the author struggled with serious philosophical questions about the "cause and purpose of life".
The narrative includes a "douloureuse ressemblance" (painful resemblance) that is established between the characters. The author clarifies that the work is not a crime to express a complaint against the mystery of God's will , and that doubt is a right without which faith would not be a victory.