The Lady of the Camellias

The novel “The Lady of the Camellias” was first published in 1848 and immediately glorified the still young author, Alexandre Dumas fils. The novel tells the love story of a Parisian courtesan (Marguerite Gauthier) and a young, romantic Armand Duval.  The prototype of Marguerite Gautier was Dumas's beloved Marie Duplessis, who died of tuberculosis at the age of 23. Because of the disease, strong odors were intolerable to her; the scent of roses or hyacinths made her dizzy, so she loved camellias, which have almost no scent.