This is the basis for La Traviata and Moulin Rouge! It was a quick read and of course a tragic one. Even though you know from the beginning that Marguerite dies, it‘s still hard to read her letters by the end of the suffering she goes through with consumption. I was annoyed by the moral high ground that the narrator/author takes toward courtesans. I also found Armand‘s reasons for falling in love with Marguerite to be pretty shallow.
I really enjoyed this tragic tale of love, come what may... The 'sacrifice' in leaving her lover to save his family's good name and the protagonist's sister does not translate well into the 21st Century, but it's very well placed in its era. The use of letters as a narrative device from beyond the grave enhanced the tragedy. Their love feels believable and intense, and the societal pressures and beautiful setting shines through. Recommended.