Ambitious

Julien is a young author who dreams of being published. He manages to get a meeting with Judith Zahn, a formidable publisher. She thinks he lacks talent, but likes his looks. He lets himself be seduced and becomes her lover. One evening, out of curiosity, he rifles through her belongings and discovers a story that excites him. It’s about Judith’s father, a revolutionary back in the seventies who died in combat in South America. Julien decides to turn it into a novel without letting Judith know. When he shows her the manuscript she feels cheated, betrayed. She forbids him to publish it and breaks off with him. He carries on regardless. The book is a huge success. Furious, Judith devises a strategy to bring about Julien’s downfall. But her revenge accomplished, she doesn’t savor it the way she had hoped.