French writer Francois Mauriac is one of the most prominent figures in the literature of the 20th century. A Nobel Prize winner, he created his own special, Mauriacian, type of novel. Continuing the tradition established by O. de Balzac and E. Zola, Mauriac explores the subtlest nuances of human psychology. In the center of the narrative of most of his works are relationships within the family. Life constantly tests Mauriac's heroes for strength, and few of them withstand these tests with honor. The story tells about the blind and all-consuming maternal love of an elderly woman for her cold and selfish son, who lived with her for almost fifty years, without even trying to get out from her strong networks. This love is terrible in its power to destroy what can snatch the only son from his mother’s bonds.