This novel chronicles three generations of men in the Trotta family: the Slovenian grandfather, a humble man of peasant stock made a noble for a heroic deed done almost by accident; his son, a powerful public servant; and the wastrel grandson, who become a soldier on the eve of World War I. It paints a vivid picture of the decay of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which is reflected in the career and character of the third generation of the Trotta family.
Although the quality of the prose and the brilliance of the author's commentary on a now-extinct society is undeniable, there are some questionables approaches to moral problems. One symptom of the moral and spiritual weakness of Trotta III is his weakness for women. He has several love affairs with married women, although they are not described in great detail. It is an interesting, informative but not uplifting novel.