Bertrand Carnéjoux

Bertrand Carnéjoux is a forty-five-year-old host of the dinner party and is married to Martine Carnéjoux. He serves as the editor in chief of Ring, a newspaper, and is also the author of Sober Pleasures, an experimental novel. Known for his infidelities, he has ongoing affairs with Marie-Ange Vasgne, Armande, the chambermaid, and his secretary, Colette. Bertrand is deeply nostalgic, often reminiscing during the dinner about Marie-Plum, the one woman he truly loved. Nearly two decades ago, he had an encounter with Lucienne Osborn, whom he fails to recognize until the end of the party. His thoughts frequently wander to the subject of his own mortality, symbolized by his decision to give the jeweled cufflinks meant for his burial to Jérôme Aygulf. Bertrand harbors jealousy over Martine's dance with Gilles Bellecroix, fearing there might be a mutual attraction.

Martine Carnéjoux

Martine Carnéjoux, often called Pilou, is the hostess of the dinner party and Bertrand's wife. At twenty-five, she is the mother of two children, Jean-Paul, four, and Rachel, two, who are the center of her emotional world. Despite her husband's numerous affairs, she remains faithful throughout their ten-year marriage. Recently, she had a nose job and is sexually attracted to Gilles Bellecroix, with whom she shared a memorable dance the previous January.

Marie-Ange Vasgne

Twenty-three-year-old Marie-Ange Vasgne is a French Canadian model hailing from rural Quebec. Her life took a dramatic turn when she was raped by a redheaded man at fourteen, prompting her to become a prostitute to climb the social ladder. Eventually, she transitioned to modeling in France. At the dinner party, she aims to seduce John Osborn to secure a role in his upcoming movie, despite his absence. Her thoughts, however, are consumed by fantasies of the men around, particularly the affluent Roland Soulaires. By the evening's end, she decides to leave with Jérôme Aygulf, another redhead, envisioning a future with him.

Gilles Bellecroix

Gilles Bellecroix, a forty-nine-year-old, is a failed novelist turned successful screenwriter. He has been happily married to Bénédicte, who is twenty years younger, for a decade. He remains devoted to her and their three-year-old son, Nicolas, never having betrayed his marital vows. Although he dislikes writing screenplays, he yearns to return to novel writing. During the dinner party, he contemplates the possibility of an affair with Martine Carnéjoux, even as he reflects on his past relationship with Eugénie Prieur in the 1930s.

Jérôme Aygulf

Jérôme Aygulf is a twenty-year-old leftist and a third-year law student. A childhood friend of Martine Carnéjoux’s younger sister, he harbors unrequited love for Martine. He attends the dinner party only because another guest canceled. Living with his grandparents, Jérôme feels hypocritical for relying on their financial support. By the dinner's conclusion, he discovers his latent homosexuality through his unvoiced attraction to Bertrand Carnéjoux.

Roland Soulaires

Roland Soulaires, a forty-three-year-old wealthy bachelor, presides over the Loubski mines. His life has been marred by episodic impotence, leaving him apprehensive around women. Throughout the evening, he remains engrossed in stock prices and engages in intellectual discussions about literature and history with Eugénie Prieur. Recently, Marie-Louise momentarily "cured" his impotency, igniting fantasies about Marie-Ange Vasgne.

Eugénie “Gigi” Prieur

Eugénie “Gigi” Prieur, aged sixty-five, was once a beauty and a staple at high society gatherings. During the dinner, she engages in conversations on French history and literature with Roland Soulaires. In 1919, she had an affair with Jean-Jacques Limher, resulting in a pregnancy she chose to end, a choice that haunts her. She is estranged from her only child, Marie-Therese, and reflects on her past romance with Gilles Bellecroix...