The Ball / Le bal

"The Ball" (Le bal) is a novella by the French writer Irène Némirovsky. It tells the story of a young girl who takes revenge on her newly wealthy parents striving to enter high society. When the parents decide to host a lavish ball to solidify their new social status, the daughter, feeling humiliated and rejected, commits an act that thwarts their plans. The work explores themes of class differences, ambition, and complex family relationships.