Spoiling a child is not just about letting them have a few extra sweets. In some cases, years of doting really do spoil them. Victurien d'Esgrignon was raised by his doting aunt and adoring father - a family high up in the aristocracy of Restoration France. As a young man, he is both intelligent and shallow: a liar and a cheat who ruins his family, their lawyer, and others drawn into his circle. Then he meets his match - a young man with the same cold heart and eye for an opportunity. Who will triumph in this race to the bottom? Honore de Balzac's 'The Collection of Antiquities' shines a bright light on the social and moral decline of the aristocracy in 1830s France. Fans of 'Les Miserables' by Victor Hugo and 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens will love this!