Tragicheskaya i pronzitelnaya istoriya lyubvi, potryasshey osnovy osnov vysshego sveta Nyu-Yorka 1870-h, staratelno kopiruyuschego nravy viktorianskoy Anglii.
Istoriya chistogo i svetlogo chuvstva, kotoroe molodoy Nyuland Archer, buduchi pomolvlennym na blagovospitannoy Mey Uelland, ispytal k blestyaschey, obrazovannoy i neschastnoy grafine Ellen Olenskoy i kotoroe hanzheskoe obschestvo pospeshilo sdelat mishenyu dlya spleten i napadok?