Honore de Balzac
One of the earliest pieces Balzac penned for his sweeping story cycle The Human Comedy, this novella is found in the Scenes of Private Life section of the series. Social climber Emilie de Fontaine is a petulant brat who is determined to marry for status. One night at an opulent party, she falls in love at first sight with the dashing, aristocratic Maximilien. Is he good enough to fulfill her mile-long list of requirements for a spouse?
...2) The Red Inn
Like many of the short stories in Honore de Balzac's vast story cycle The Human Comedy, The Red Inn is a tale within a tale. After a pleasant dinner at the Red Inn, guests begin to swap anecdotes. German businessman Hermann contributes to the discussion with a story about a French soldier who was imprisoned after being unjustly accused of committing a murder.
If you like your tales of tragic love to come with a stiff dose of historical realism, get ready to savor this classic from French writer Honore de Balzac. The Lily of the Valley tells the tale of star-crossed lovers Felix de Vandenesse and Henriette de Mortsauf. Will social conventions keep them apart, or will they say goodbye to the trappings of the French aristocracy to live together? Pick up this must-read romance to find out.
Known for his keen observations and finely drawn characters, Honore de Balzac is regarded as one of the forerunners of the literary realism movement that swept Europe in the nineteenth century. A Woman of Thirty offers an unflinching look at the layers of social oppression that dictated the course of many women's lives during the era.
Famous perfectionist Honore de Balzac labored for years to bring the fascinating idea behind The Magic Skin to life in a novel, and critics and fans alike agree that it is one of the French writer's masterworks. The story follows the experiences of a young man who finds a small piece of animal skin that magically fulfills his every desire. However, over time, he discovers that the seeming miracle has exacted a terrible toll on his body—and
...6) Cousin Bette
The crown jewel in a remarkable literary career, Cousin Bette is regarded by many critics to be Balzac's last great work before his death in 1850. A fine example of European realist fiction, the story recounts the attempt of a disgruntled housewife to bring about the misery and destruction of her entire extended family. Fans of Tolstoy's War and Peace will enjoy Cousin Bette.
This short tale is part of the Philosophical Studies section of Honore de Balzac's The Human Comedy. Almost fable-like in tone, it recounts a boat ride carrying a group of passengers that represent a broad cross-section of society. When a sudden storm hits, chaos ensues, and each passenger's reaction speaks volumes about his or her moral compass.
French writer Honore de Balzac had many unique strengths, and chief among them is his ability to limn and illuminate subtle differences between social classes. In this pastoral novel, Balzac explores the virtues and follies of country life through the eyes of Emile Blondet, a journalist who was born and raised in the provinces, works in Paris, and has returned to the countryside of his youth for a much-needed vacation.
One of the unifying themes that wends its way through Honore de Balzac's immense body of work is the corrupting danger of greed—and the often-absurd lengths to which people will go to secure material wealth. In the wonderful novel Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau, the title character starts out as a successful perfume-maker who is gradually lured to the dark side by the promise of ill-gotten gains.
Step back in history through the eyes of one of the masters of European realism. This keenly observed and utterly absorbing account of the period after Napoleon Bonaparte fell from power in nineteenth-century France is both an interesting historical document and an engrossing mystery.
11) Study of a Woman
Part of Balzac's masterpiece, the multi-volume story cycle The Human Comedy, the short story Study of a Woman focuses on Madame de Listomere, an uptight model of propriety, who finds herself being flirted with by the rapscallion Eugene de Rastignac, who has taken up the courtship as a lark.
12) A Start in Life
The novel A Start in Life is part of the Scenes of Private Life section of Honore de Balzac's masterpiece of nineteenth-century realism, The Human Comedy. In much of Balzac's work, the aristocracy is portrayed as vain, duplicitous, and greedy. But in this novel, it is members of the working class who are mercilessly skewered when what starts out as a harmless prank rapidly snowballs into a comedy of errors with profound consequences.
...Balzac's La Comedie Humaine was a story cycle comprising more than 100 novels and stories. Although most of these works are set in nineteenth-century France, several hearken back to earlier periods. Catherine de' Medici centers on the life of the woman born into an aristocratic family in medieval Italy who went on to become Queen consort and, later, regent of France.
Part of the massive series that some regard as one of the masterworks of nineteenth-century realism, Honore de Balzac's The Human Comedy, the novel The Country Doctor focuses on Dr. Benassis, a physician by trade, who has deep-seated beliefs about social equality. While treating a prominent patient, Benassis expounds at length on his value system and discusses some of the reforms that he has helped to implement in the town.
15) The Thirteen
This series of three novellas is unified by an overarching motif: in all three tales, a mysterious secret society known as The Thirteen is at work behind the scenes. The men in the group have pledged eternal loyalty to each other, and if any member ever finds himself in peril, it is the sworn duty of the others to come to his aid. Honore de Balzac uses this premise as a device to explore a wide range of topics, including clashes between
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