Anatole France 
Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard 

In 1881, French novelist Anatole France burst onto the European literary landscape with his first novel, The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard. Protagonist Bonnard is a refined academic who has long lived at a remove from the tumult and tribulation of the real world. But when a chance encounter plunges him into the midst of a dramatic domestic dispute, he springs into action.