Balzac's classic novel is brought to life in Hungary in the late sixties. László Sárdi, a young man from the countryside, moves to Budapest. He and his lover, the older, pretty Mrs. Bársony, want to start a new life here, but she is distracted by her own interests and Sárdi is left on his own. His ambitions as a writer, however, keep him in the capital, where he is confident in his talent and wants to get ahead as quickly as possible. He lives in a rented flat, earns his living by delivering newspapers, and works obsessively on his drama at the library during the day. It is here that she meets a young writer, András Dániel, who is also without connections but has friends.