Honoré de Balzac

In the crowded boardinghouse of Paris, everyone is chasing something—money, love, status, or escape.

Par cette fresque aux allures de roman policier, Balzac dépeint et fustige les incohérences sociales, politiques et judiciaires de son époque. Paru sous forme de feuilleton entre 1838 et 1847, Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes est un roman foisonnant de personnages hauts en couleur...

Brothers Philippe and Joseph Bridau are completely unalike: Philippe, braggart and soldier, formerly aide-de-camp to Napoleon, is their mother Agathe's favorite; Joseph, a poor and aspiring artist, is raised in his brother's shadow....

Impoverished young aristocrat Eugene de Rastignac is determined to climb the social ladder and impress himself on Parisian high society. He encounters Jean-Joachim Goriot, a retired vermicelli maker....

Lisbeth Fischer has lived in the shadow of her beautiful cousin Adeline for much of her life. Pampered while Lisbeth works in the fields, Adeline makes an enviable leap in status when Baron Hulot offers her his hand in marriage....

This is a heart-wrenching story of a man driven to poverty by the selfless acts and the overwhelming love and devotion that he has for his two daughters....

Life has the capacity of great moments and attainment, of lives well lived, fulfilling for ourselves and for those we touch. But for others life is arduous. There is no spark to ignite the curiosity, to explore and achieve a stability and a growth to their lives....

One of renowned French author Honoré de Balzac's finest works, Père Goriot provides a fascinating glimpse into Parisian life of the early 19th century. The rich character studies and themes of class, personal ambition, and materiality make this insightful novel as compelling today as when it...

Voici donc l'histoire de ce père Goriot, vermicellien ayant fait fortune et qui, tel l'Albatros de Baudelaire, se déchirera les entrailles pour élever ses enfants...

The Bette referred to in this magnificent novel's title is Lisbeth Fischer, an excruciatingly cunning poor relation who both depends upon and nurses a terrible grudge....

Hailed as the father of the naturalist novel, French author and playwright Honoré de Balzac left a legacy of treasured literary works that include Père Goriot and Cousin Bette. The daughter of a wealthy but miserly man, Eugénie Grandet falls in love with her penniless cousin, Charles. The two...

Obra maestra de Balzac, Las ilusiones perdidas cuenta la historia de un joven de provincias con ambiciones artísticas que sueña con triunfar en París....

"The possession of power, no matter how enormous, does not bring the knowledge how to use it"...

One of the greatest of French novelists, Balzac, trained as a lawyer, was a great judge of human nature....

Balzac’s universally loved novel explores the great theme of money and its effect on the human character....

La femme de trente ans évoque la condition féminine au travers du récit d'un mariage qui échoue. Julie de Chastillon est une jeune femme poussée trop vite dans le mariage et en quête permanente d'une rencontre amoureuse digne d'être vécue, elle devient adultère. Entre les déceptions...

C'est le premier portrait de femme profondément destructrice, rancunière et laide que Balzac ait produit. Elle se voit apparentée à un animal malfaisant : "ses sourcils épais réunis par un bouquet, sa face longue et simiesque laissent deviner derrière la paysanne des Vosges un caractère...

In the brutal Prussian winter of 1807, Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte’s Grande Armée suffered massive losses to the Russians in the Battle of Eylau. Many thousands died. Young Colonel Chabert falls heroically, his actions having turned the tide of the battle....

Rastignac est un jeune homme de petite noblesse. Il vient à Paris espérant y rencontrer la fortune. Mais il n'a ni l'argent, ni la connaissance de la société parisienne nécessaire...

Un padre despreciado por las hijas que ama....