Books by Honore de Balzac

"Nuestra conciencia no nos lleva ante un tribunal. Los enemigos del orden social aprovechan este abuso para despotricar contra la justicia y protestar en nombre del pueblo porque un ladrón roba de noche una gallinas en un recinto cerrado en mandado a galeras, mientras que un hombre que arruine a varias familias provocando una quiebra fraudulenta apenas sí pasa unos meses en la cárcel (...)"Es esta la imagen que tenía Balzac de la sociedad parisina de su época, y con su estilo de escritura realista así es como nos la presentará a lo largo del conjunto de su obra, a la que tituló "La comedia humana".En el último tomo de esta novela publicada en 3 partes, que narra las vidas de los dos amigos de infancia David y Lucien, Balzac nos relata el regreso de Lucien a su Angulema natal, inicialmente con el propósito de enmendarse tras su vida de excesos parisinos y arreglar lo ocurrido con su familia. Lejosde conseguirlo, lo que logra con su regreso es complicar aún más la situación hasta el desenlace con un final trágico.Los dos protagonistas de esta novela, David y Lucien, son un fiel reflejo de la visión que tenía Balzac de la sociedad de mitad del siglo XIX, y a lo largo de las páginas vemos cómo las ilusiones de los dos amigos se estrellan ante la sociedad que no está diseñada para satisfacer las inquietudes del ser humano, sino todo lo contrario: está construida sobre unos valores morales oscuros y derrotistas, caracterizados por el miedo. Los dos amigos, y las ilusiones románticas de cada uno de ellos, sufrirán el proceso de ver sus ideales de juventud engullidos por la realidad que les rodea.Es probablemente este el mayor logro de esta novela de lectura sencilla: permitirnos conocernos mejor a nosotros mismos a través de la sociedad de hace 200 años.Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) fue un escritor y dramaturgo francés. Escribió sobre el panorama francés post-napoleónico y sobre la vida francesa.

"Ni Lucien, ni madame de Bargeton, ni Gentil, ni Albertine, la doncella, hablaron nunca de los incidentes de este viaje, pero es de creer que la continua presencia de gente lo hizo muy poco grato para un enamorado que esperaba todos los placeres de un rapto. Lucien, que corría la posta por primera vez en su vida, se quedó muy sorprendido al ver que en el camino de Angulema a París iba dejándose casi la totalidad de la suma que pensaba destinar a sus gastos de un año en París."En el segundo volumen de esta trilogía que se publicó a lo largo de 6 años Balzac continúa la narración de la historia de las vidas de sus dos personajes protagonistas: Lucien y David. Ambos son amigos de la infancia, unidos además por su afición a la literatura y la ciencia, pese a que sus vidas tomanrumbos muy distintos.David se encuentra atado a su padre y al negocio familiar que éste le ha traspasado, vive en la pequeña Angulema, ciudad de provincias de la que los dos amigos son originarios, y pese a que sueña con ser inventor y no carece de talento para ello, su carrera científica se ve relegada a un sueño de juventud.El personaje de Lucien está brillantemente retratado, con su juventud, talento y encanto, su alma es la de un poeta que quiere abrirse camino en el mundo de la literatura. Pero su apego a la vida fácil y la expectativa de que el mundo le rinda honores por su inteligencia y su belleza no le conducirán al éxito, sino más bien todo lo contrario. En él la combinación de los ideales románticos acerca de la amistad, el trabajo o la vida artística y creativa están perfectamente entretejidos con su desparpajo y caradura.El maestro de la literatura costumbrista Balzac logra realizar a través de ellos un magnífico cuadro de costumbres en el que van desfilando personajes de obreros, burgueses, nobles o cortesanas, todos ellos dotados de un profundo carácter humano.Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) fue un escritor y dramaturgo francés. Escribió sobre el panorama francés post-napoleónico y sobre la vida francesa.

¿Con quién debería casarse Eugenia Grandet? Esta es la pregunta que todos plantean en el pequeño pueblo de Saumur, en el que tiene lugar la famosa novela de Balzac.Cuando Charles, primo de Eugenia, llega a la casa de la familia Grandet, la joven se enamora profundamente de él. A pesar de que el padre Grandet, tacaño e increíblemente rico, tiene planes completamente diferentes para su hija, Eugenia permanece fiel a su verdadero amor y enfrenta a su padre.Esta obra es la más conocida de Balzac, es un retrato de la avaricia y la ilusión sobre el poder y los intereses, donde los personajes se muestran tortuosos, consumidos por secretos y con sus demonios asediando permanentemente.Honoré de Balzac (20 de mayo de 1799) fue un escritor y dramaturgo francés. Escribió sobre el panorama francés post-napoleónico y sobre la vida francesa.

Monsieur Goriot is one of a disparate group of lodgers at Mademe Vauquer's dingy Parisian boarding house. At first his wealth inspires respect, but as his circumstances are mysteriously reduced he becomes shunned by those around him, and soon his only remaining visitors are his two beautifully dressed daughters. Goriot's fate is intertwined with two other fellow boarders: the young social climber Eugene Rastignac, who sees a way to gain the acceptance and wealth he craves, and the enigmatic figure of Vautrin, who is hiding darker secrets than anyone. Weaving a compelling and panoramic story of love, money, self-sacrifice, corruption, greed and ambition, Old Man Goriot is Balzac's acknowledged masterpiece. A key novel in his Comedie Humaine series, it is a vividly realized portrait of bourgeois Parisian society in the years following the French Revolution.

Passionate and perceptive, the three short novels that make up Balzac's History of the Thirteen are concerned in part with the activities of a rich, powerful, sinister and unscrupulous secret society in nineteenth-century France. While the deeds of 'The Thirteen' remain frequently in the background, however, the individual novels are concerned with exploring various forms of desire. A tragic love story, Ferragus depicts a marriage destroyed by suspicion, revelation and misunderstanding. The Duchess de Langeais explores the anguish that results when a society coquette tries to seduce a heroic ex-soldier, while The Girl with the Golden Eyes offers a frank consideration of desire and sexuality. Together, these works provide a firm and fascinating foundation for Balzac's many later portrayals of Parisian life in his great novel-cycle The Human Comedy.

Mild, harmless and ugly to behold, the impoverished Pons is an ageing musician whose brief fame has fallen to nothing. Living a placid Parisian life as a bachelor in a shared apartment with his friend Schmucke, he maintains only two passions: a devotion to fine dining in the company of wealthy but disdainful relatives, and a dedication to the collection of antiques. When these relatives become aware of the true value of his art collection, however, their sneering contempt for the parasitic Pons rapidly falls away as they struggle to obtain a piece of the weakening man's inheritance. Taking its place in the Human Comedy as a companion to Cousin Bette, the darkly humorous Cousin Pons is among of the last and greatest of Balzac's novels concerning French urban society: a cynical, pessimistic but never despairing consideration of human nature.

One of the greatest French novelists, Balzac was also an accomplished writer of shorter fiction. This volume includes twelve of his finest short stories - many of which feature characters from his epic series of novels the Comedie Humaine. Compelling tales of acute social and psychological insight, they fully demonstrate the mastery of suspense and revelation that were the hallmarks of Balzac's genius. In The Atheist's Mass, we learn the true reason for a distinguished atheist surgeon's attendance at religious services; La Grande Breteche describes the horrific truth behind the locked doors of a decaying country mansion, while The Red Inn relates a brutal tale of murder and betrayal. A fascinating counterpoint to the renowned novels, all the stories collected here stand by themselves as mesmerizing works by one of the finest writers of nineteenth-century France.

Handsome would-be poet Lucien Chardon is poor and naive, but highly ambitious. Failing to make his name in his dull provincial hometown, he is taken up by a patroness, the captivating married woman Madame de Bargeton, and prepares to forge his way in the glamorous beau monde of Paris. But Lucien has entered a world far more dangerous than he realized, as Madame de Bargeton's reputation becomes compromised and the fickle, venomous denizens of the courts and salons conspire to keep him out of their ranks. Lucien eventually learns that, wherever he goes, talent counts for nothing in comparison to money, intrigue and unscrupulousness. Lost Illusions is one of the greatest novels in the rich procession of the Comedie humaine, Balzac's panoramic social and moral history of his times.

Philippe and Joseph Bridau are two extremely different brothers. The elder, Philippe, is a superficially heroic soldier and adored by their mother Agathe. He is nonetheless a bitter figure, secretly gambling away her savings after a brief but glorious career in Napoleon's army. His younger brother Joseph, meanwhile, is fundamentally virtuous - but their mother is blinded to his kindness by her disapproval of his life as an artist. Foolish and prejudiced, Agathe lives on unaware that she is being cynically manipulated by her own favourite child, but will she ever discover which of her sons is truly the black sheep of the family? A dazzling depiction of the power of money and the cruelty of life in nineteenth-century France, The Black Sheep compellingly explores is a compelling exploration of the nature of deceit.

Balzac is concerned with the choice between ruthless self-gratification and asceticism, dissipation and restraint, in a novel that is powerful in its symbolism and realistic depiction of decadence.

In 1842, eight years before his death, Balzac described Ursule Mirouet as the masterpiece of all the studies of human society that he had written; he regarded the book as 'a remarkable tour de force'.An essentially simple tale about the struggle and triumph of innocence reviled, Ursule Mirouet is characterized by that wealth of penetrating observation so readily associated with Balzac's work. The twin themes of redemption and rebirth are illuminated by a consistently passionate rejection of both philosophic and practical materialism in favour of love. In this case love is aided by supernatural intervention, which itself effectively illustrates Balzac's life-long fascination with the occult.

For a very long time Monsieur de Merret has been suspecting his wife of infidelity. One night he comes home earlier than usual and knocks on the door of his wife’s chamber. Right before he enters the room, he hears the door of her closet squeak. Initially, Merret thinks that this is their maid Rosalie, but he is perplexed when the maid enters the room right after him. Merret desires to open the closet so he can once and for all find out the truth about his wife.Who is hiding in the closet and why does Monsieur de Merret think his wife is having an affair? Will his suspicions turn out to have been warranted? Will he open the closet, or his wife will manage to change his mind? Find all the answers in Honoré de Balzac’s novel "The Mysterious Mansion".B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.Honoré de Balzac (1799 – 1850) was a French author, who produced a large number of novels and short stories, collectively named Comédie humaine (The Human Comedy). With his collection of nearly one hundred short stories, Balzac was a great contributor to the world of literature. Balzac was also famous for his short naps between dinner and midnight. In this way he was able to withstand the exhaustive writing schedule he was following.

"The Marriage Contract" is included in "Scenes from Private Life" and follows the marriage of a Parisian gentleman to beautiful Spanish girl, who comes into a lot of money. Presenting an intriguing portrait of the relationships between people, their romantic adventures, and marriage contracts in general, the novel abounds in philosophical, ethical, and financial dialogues. The naiveté of the characters and their illusions of married life clash with a bang against reality, resulting in unnecessary and often humorous suffering.Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) was a French novelist and playwright, most famous for his collection of novels and plays, collectively called "The Human Comedy". His detailed observation of humanity and realistic depiction of society makes his one of the earliest representatives of realism in Europe. He was a master-creator of complex characters that often found themselves in ambiguous moral dilemmas.

"The Recruit" is a short story from Balzac’s "Philosophical studies", set during the horrors of the Reign of Terror. An aristocratic mother is desperately awaiting the return of her only son and heir. Focusing on the small-town talk and gossip, Balzac’s story is a melodramatic and hopeful episode on his literary journey. The author becomes the historian and narrator of the situation, creating a memorable and vivid narrative, rich in character portrayal and human emotions.Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) was a French novelist and playwright, most famous for his collection of novels and plays, collectively called "The Human Comedy". His detailed observation of humanity and realistic depiction of society makes his one of the earliest representatives of realism in Europe. He was a master-creator of complex characters that often found themselves in ambiguous moral dilemmas.

Physiology of Marriage in 3 volumes is a treatise by Honoré de Balzac, published under the title Physiology of Marriage or Meditations on eclectic philosophy, on marital happiness and unhappiness, published by a young bachelor. An essay, a meditation and a narrative at the same time, the text oscillates between the study of manners and the analytical treatise and it is part of a genre in developing, that of physiology. The text is divided into several "sections" or meditations. The first several meditations expose the state of marriage in France in the wealthy and idle upper classes, then propose a series of reforms to improve the marital status of women and thus prevent them from cheating on their husbands.

History of the Thirteen is a trilogy written by Honoré de Balzac: Ferragus is the first part, the second is La Duchesse de Langeais and the third is The Girl with the Golden Eyes. The story is set around the year 1820. Auguste de Maulincour, a young cavalry officer, walking in a Parisian district of ill repute, sees from afar a young married woman, Clemence, with whom he is secretly in love. In the days that follow his arrival to Paris, Auguste uncovers the secrets of powerful and mysterious people and escapes several assassination attempts.

The theme of celibacy was important to Balzac, who gave the name The Celibates to a sub-section of his famous La Comédie humaine. It consists of Pierrette, The Vicar of Tours and The Black Sheep (The Two Brothers). "Pierrette" tells the story of a sweet little orphan girl, Pierrette Lorrain. She gets adopted by her two older cousins, unmarried brother and sister shopkeepers, who become her guardian because they suspect that she has some inheritance coming. Cousins mistreat Pierrette, make her work as a servant and she becomes miserable. Only one who loves and cares for her is her childhood companion Brigaut. "The Vicar of Tours" is the tale of an old other-worldly, gentle, introspective vicar named Birotteau and his silent feud with his younger and ambition driven colleague, Troubert. Both of them are priests at Tours, having separate lodgings in the house of Sophie Gamard. When Birotteau leaves for several days, upon return he finds Troubert installed in his apartments, in full possession of his furniture and his library, whilst he himself has been moved into inferior rooms. Birotteau tries to regain his position, but their personal drama gets increasingly interwoven with the politics of their small city and becomes public. "The Black Sheep (The Two Brothers)" tells the story of the Bridau family, trying to regain their lost inheritance after a series of mishaps. Brothers Phillip and Joseph Bridau lose their father early. Philippe, who is the eldest and his mother''s favourite, becomes a soldier in Napoleon''s armies, and Joseph becomes an artist. After leaving army Philippe becomes a heavy drinker and gambler, while Joseph is a dedicated artist, and the more loyal son, but his mother does not understand his artistic vocation. They get into financial problems which lead to more troubles.

Eugénie Grandet is set in the town of Saumur. Eugénie''s father Felix is a former cooper who has become wealthy through both business ventures and inheritance. However, he is very stingy, and he lives with his family in a run-down old house which he is too miserly to repair. His banker des Grassins wants Eugénie to marry his son Adolphe, and his lawyer Cruchot wants Eugénie to marry his nephew President Cruchot des Bonfons, both parties eyeing the inheritance from Felix. The two families constantly visit the Grandets to get Felix''s favour, and Felix in turn plays them off against each other for his own advantage. On Eugénie''s birthday, in 1819, Felix''s nephew Charles Grandet arrives from Paris unexpectedly, after his father goes bankrupt. Charles is a spoiled and indolent young man who is having an affair with an older woman. Felix considers him to be a burden and plans to send him off overseas. However, Eugénie falls in love with Charles and stir things up.

The Lily of the Valley is a tale about love which parodies and depicts French society in the period of the Bourbon Restoration. It concerns the affection - emotionally vibrant but never consummated - between Félix de Vandenesse and Henriette de Mortsauf.