In French, this novel is called The Great Families, and it mainly deals with the old aristocratic family of La Monneri and the family of Austrian major Schudler financiers.

Representatives of these two families paid a visit to one of the Paris maternity hospitals in January 1916 on the occasion of the birth of Jean-Noel Schudler. Jean-Noel is the grandson of the aging poet, “fourth-generation romance”, Count Jean de La Monneri, who came along with his wife Juliette, the grandmother of the baby. This family is also represented at the meeting by the brother of the poet Marquis Urbain de La Monneri, and even herself. parturient woman. Jacqueline, now bearing the name Schudler. Jean and Urbain have two more brothers: Robert - the general and Gerard - the diplomat. Jacqueline Francois’s husband is not here because he’s at the front, but Siegfried, ninety-year-old, the great-grandfather of the baby, the founder of the Schudler bank, his son, the manager of the French bank, Baron Noel Schudler and his wife Adele, respectively, the father and mother of the missing father, Jean- Noel. The visit is interrupted by a raid by German aircraft that bombards Paris, and the next meeting of the heroes takes place already at the end of 1920 at the bed of the dying Jean de La Monneri. Here, in addition to family members, a thirty-three-year-old scientist, a native of a peasant family, Simon Lach, who wrote a dissertation on the work of Jean de La Monneri, and the famous doctor Lartois. Simon meets here Isabella, the niece of Juliette de La Monneri, who later becomes his mistress, and at the poet’s funeral she also meets with the Minister of Education Anatoly Russo, thanks to whom he parted from teaching at the Lyceum, transferred to the Ministry and, since he is not devoid of abilities , rapidly starting to make a career. He is married, and therefore, when Isabella became pregnant from him, Madame de La Monneri arranges for her to marry her longtime admirer, seventy-year-old Olivier Meniere. The newlyweds are leaving for Switzerland. Isabella has a miscarriage there, and after some time Olivier, unable to withstand the overloads of a happy family life, dies. Meanwhile, Simon Lashom has a new lover, Marie-Helen Eterlen, who until very recently was Jean's lover. de la monneri.

Here in the novel another figure appears - the fifty-seven-year-old Lucien Moblan, who by mother is the brother of the poet Jean and all the other brothers of La Monneri of the older generation. At the same time, he is the ex-husband of Baroness Adele Schudler. Outwardly, he is ugly, but he is very rich. He is called the king of gambling houses and night restaurants.

One fine day, Noelle Schudler invites him, the ex-husband of his wife, for an important conversation in his office. This conversation is preceded by a conflict between Noel and his son Francois. Going to America for two months, he instructs his son to run the Eco de Maten newspaper, which belongs to him, among other things. He successfully copes with the task, but at the same time he carries out a number of necessary reforms in the newspaper, rejuvenates the staff a little and gains such authority among his subordinates that it causes an attack of jealousy from his father returning from the trip. And the immediate cause of the conflict is the intention of Francois to appoint too young, according to his father, Simon Lashom, who has a short pause in his political career, to the post of head of the foreign policy department. As a result of this generational conflict, Noel Schudler, having taken the newspaper away from Francois, instructs him to engage in the Sonschelles sugar factories. Francois and there undertakes modernization, which promises large profits, but at some point requires additional investment. It would not have been difficult for Noel Schudler to find the means, but since François violated his instructions to some extent, his father decided to teach him a lesson.

It is for this purpose that he invites Lucien Moblan, who also has a block of shares in the Sonschelles sugar refineries. Schudler, having offered his shares to that, gives Moblan the impression that the Schudlers are on the verge of ruin. Moblan, who has long hated the Schudlers - among other things, because he and his ex-wife spread rumors about his impotence - decides, as Noel expected, to sell his shares in sugar factories in order to accelerate the collapse. The stock price is falling. Noel assumed, having waited two or three days, to buy them at a lower price. But since he does not say anything about this operation to his son, but, on the contrary, assures that everything is due to his oversights, Francois goes to bow to Moblan and, after listening to the cynical admission that he longs for the Schudler’s ruin, commits suicide. This death gives rise to panic among depositors of the Shudler bank, who are beginning to urgently take their money. There is a threat of a very real bankruptcy of the Schudlers. But Noel Schudler copes with the situation and doubles his profits, earning in this way even on the death of his own son. However, the true winner is still Lucien Moblan: having lost ten million francs in two days, he can be proud that he sent one of the Schudlers to the other world.

Jacqueline Schudler, who truly loved her husband, suffered a mental trauma, miraculously avoiding brain hemorrhage, and remained bedridden for two months. She is recovering very slowly, and loved ones begin to take steps to restore her peace of mind with the help of religion. The Dominican priest whom they invited really helps her: she begins to emerge from the crisis. But Noel Schudler, having studied the papers of his son, is imbued with his ideas and begins to reorganize the newspaper in accordance with his plans. Not only that, he passes the ideas of Francois to his own and has plans for revenge on Lucien Moblan. And he, trying to prove to everyone that, despite his Schudler’s insinuations, everything is all right with his potency, he intends to have a child and, in this connection, allows his mistress, a young actress with the stage name of Sylvain Dual, to fool himself. Since Moblan promised Sylvain to give her, if she gives birth to a child, a million francs, she, having gone far to the province with a companion who was really pregnant, returns a few months later with twins and bargains from Moblan for this two million. Simon Lach, whom Noel Schudler meanwhile lures from the ministry to his newspaper, finds out about Sylvain's trick and reports it to his master. The fate of Moblan is in the hands of Schudler. He decides to take advantage of the greed of the heirs of Moblan, who are not satisfied with either the extravagance of the latter, or the unexpected appearance of two more heirs. Schudder consults with lawyers and finds out that in such a situation he can institute proceedings for custody of Moblan. After all, he, Schudler, is the guardian of his grandchildren, these grandchildren, in turn, are his relatives, and therefore, potential heirs to Moblan. But he, Schudler, cannot watch the squandering of money that rightfully belongs to those whom he takes care of. And he convenes a family council, which, as it turns out, has very broad powers. Especially if there is a justice of the peace. At the same time, giving a bribe to Minister Anatoly Russo under the guise of a legal consultation fee, he enlisted the support of the latter. Everything turns out as planned. As a result, Noel Schudler himself becomes the guardian of Moblan.

Meanwhile, Adede Schudler develops cancer. Siegfried Schudler dies. Moblan is gradually degrading mentally. And then one day Isabella was summoned to a madhouse because a man got there who pretended to be her late husband Olivier Meniere. This person is Lucien Moblan. The day after Isabella’s visit, he dies. By that time the heirs had already divided all his millions among themselves, and none of his relatives came to his funeral.