#Paris In July Honoré Balzac
- Author: Honoré Balzac
- Genre: novella
- Title: La Maison du Chat Qui Pelote
- Published: 1830
- #ParisInJuly
- I’m starting this month of Paris in July by reading a few books
- written in “L’âge d’or du roman 19th C”.
- The major literary work I do not have the courage to read
- is Balzac’s La Comédie Humaine.
- Why? …because it will take a lifetime to read in French!
- It contains nearly 100 novels and plays.
- The vast numbers of characters Blazac created
- represent an entire society in his head!
- The completed Comédie Humaine totalled
- 2472 named characters and 566 unnamed characters.
- I at least read the first words (novella) of La Comédie Humaine
- La Maison du Chat Qui Pelote. (95 pages).
- You can find all the plot information on the Wikipedia page.
Conclusion:
- The novella felt like I was reading Sense and Sensibility
- …but with a sad ending.
- Thank goodness Ms Austen always gives
- us the “happy ever after” last chapter.
- Blazac uses the basic construction of opposites:
- 2 sisters – Virginie is sweet, patient; Augustine is a coquette, flirt
- 2 lovers – Joseph is a reliable businessman; Théo is a flamboyant artist
- 2 marriages – “mariage de convenance” – “mariage d’amour”
- Augustine seems bound for happiness and
- Virginie for a dreary life.
- But destiny has surprises in store.
- Despite all the risks of marriage, and there are many as Balzac reveals
- …still the author wants to leave us this message:
- …a marriage that is short and passionate is worth more
- …than one that is predictable and banal.
- In the eyes of the main character Augustine:
- ” « dix-huit mois de bonheur »
- valent « mille existences » banales”
- #Classic and a quick read to brush up on your French language skills!
- The book starts with the artist Théodore observing the shop
- where Augustine lives with her father and family.
- Climax: Augustine confronts the courtesan Duchesse de Carigliano
- …it is all about that portrait on the wall!
6 Comments
Post a comment
NancyElin.blog 
Reblogged this on penwithlit and commented:
Very interesting- I am currently reading Lire Magazine olume 19 which is on Balzac and hoping to improve my French. I am sure that you would agree that Austen and Balzac were very different writers. The wit exchanged in a Bath drawing room compared to the drama in a Parision atelier. Balzac makes you think hard and was concerned with the realistic dichotomies in levels of French society so I find myself thinking about George Eliot and we know he was an influence on Dickens. I wonder if Proust might not suit us both better. I keep wondering about tackling Lacan!!
Thanks so much for the re-blog and your thoughts!
I love Paris in July! I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never read Balzac but you give me good incentive to do so!
Reading Balzac certainly sounds like a good challenge for you during Paris in July! I’m impressed.
Sounds interesting. I have only read Le Père Goriot which I liked. By chance, while looking for other books about Paris I ran into one of his trilogies: Ferragus, chef des Dévorants (1833)
La Duchesse de Langeais (1834) and The Girl With the Golden. It seems they are part of his La Comédie humaine. It seems a good idea to read them this month. Not sure if I will be able to read all three of them though.
I must try a little Balzac.