Showing results by author "Honore de Balzac" in All Categories

The Philosophical Studies from The Human Comedy (La Comedie Humaine) are a series of works that are intended as a reflection on history in part through the use of fiction. 'Catherine de Medici' is one such 'study', and features, alongside detailed history (and even architectural) sections, elements of the 'story' are fictionalised. In particular, this happens through dialogue that describes the feelings of the characters and what they are doing, these parts in the manner of a novel. In particular, Catherine de Medici (apparently), was depicted by historians as a bad ruler. This book is an ...

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. Indeed their lives, in their own eyes, become almost meaningless, their sense of themselves subsumed under a myriad of problems, whether real or imagined. Seismic events in a life might crush them; the loss of a loved one for instance. Coping is difficult, support hard to find and isolation abounds.

"1100 Quotations from the Great French Writers of the 19th Century" is a wonderful collection of wit and wisdom from some of the greatest French writers ever. From Guy de Maupassant and Honoré de Balzac to Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas, this carefully crafted collection is guaranteed to inspire and entertain. Ideal for those needing a dose of encouragement. These French literary giants are responsible for some of the worlds most famous works, including "The Three Musketeers", "Les Misérables", "Madame Bovary" and "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame".

The Rise and Fall of César Birotteau (1837) is a captivating tale from Balzacs renowned series The Human Comedy. Set against the vibrant backdrop of post-Napoleonic Paris, this story explores the dramatic shift in society as the aristocracy and the church cede power to an ambitious middle class of merchants, landlords, lawyers, and bankers. César Birotteau, a kind-hearted and unassuming perfumer, has risen from modest beginnings to earn the respect of his community and achieve commercial success. However, as he strives to ascend even higher, he becomes ensnared in a perilous web of financial...

Immerse yourself in the world of Two Poets (1837), the opening installment of Balzac’s captivating Lost Illusions trilogy, which is intricately woven into his monumental work, La Comédie Humaine. Set against the backdrop of post-Napoleonic France, the narrative explores the tumultuous clash between the newly emerging bourgeoisie and the fading old aristocracy. We follow Lucien Chardon, an idealistic young man yearning to be a poet, alongside his steadfast friend David Séchard, who is caught between managing his father’s printing business and his deep affection for Lucien’s sister, Ève...

In the crowded boardinghouse of Paris, everyone is chasing something—money, love, status, or escape. Among them lives Père Goriot, an aging former pasta maker who has sacrificed everything for his two daughters, women now glittering in high society who barely acknowledge the father who made their lives possible. Watching it all unfold is Eugène de Rastignac, an ambitious young law student determined to rise in a world where success often demands the death of innocence.

Questo audiolibro contiene le audioletture integrali di Valerio Di Stefano e di Chiara Surico di:

- Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

- Edmondo De Amicis, Cuore

- Matilde Serao, Novella d'amore

- Giovanni Verga, Cavalleria rusticana

- Giovanni Verga, Storia di una capinera

- Giovanni Verga, Eros

- Vamba, Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca

- Honoré de Balzac, Eugenia Grandet (traduzione di Grazia Deledda)

- Carlo Collodi, Pinocchio

- Valerio Di Stefano, Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae

- Valerio Di Stefano, Il libro di Ester Pasqualoni

- Valerio Di Stefano, Scuolamara

Liées par l’amitié, mais séparées par choix, Louise de Chaulieu et Renée de Maucombe sont jeunes et quittent leur couvent avec des rêves de bonheur très différents. À travers une série de lettres intimes, elles se confient leurs espoirs, leurs déceptions et leur désillusion grandissante à l’aube de l’âge adulte.

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 against the family of her beautiful cousin, Adeline. That family is slowly being ruined by the uncontrollable sexual appetites of Adeline's husband, Baron Hulot - appetites that will, in time, give Cousin Bette opportunity to exact her vengeance.

In diesem Text in Hörbuchform wird eine humoristische Analyse der Spezies Rentner und Beamte vorgenommen und der Gegenstand von Balzacs schmunzelnder Betrachtung ist im Allgemeinen gesprochen der Alltag. Der Titel hält also, was er verspricht: Teil 2 der Aufsätze des Alltags.

Impoverished young aristocrat Eugene de Rastignac is determined to climb the social ladder and impress himself on Parisian high society. While staying at the Maison Vauquer, a boarding house in Paris's rue Neuve-Sainte-Genevieve, he encounters Jean-Joachim Goriot, a retired vermicelli maker who has spent his entire fortune supporting his two daughters. The boarders strike up a friendship and Goriot learns of Rastignac's feelings for his daughter Delphine. He begins to see Rastignac as the ideal son-in-law, and the perfect substitute for Delphine's domineering husband. But Rastignac has other opportunities too....

One of the greatest of French novelists, Balzac, trained as a lawyer, was a great judge of human nature. In 1833 he conceived the idea of linking together his novels so that they would comprehend the whole society in a series of books. This plan eventually led to 90 novels and novellas (including more than 2,000 characters) that he called "The Human Comedy". Balzac's huge and ambitious plan drew a picture of the customs, atmosphere, and habits of the bourgeois France.

In this library, dear listener, books do not merely repose upon their shelves: they awaken, they speak, they reveal the secret history of souls. The Balzac Library offers the great works entire, read in full, so that one may enter at leisure into those chambers where ambition burns, love deceives, society calculates, and Paris itself keeps watch at every window. It is a refuge for the curious mind, a salon for the solitary ear, and a doorway into that vast human comedy in which every heart keeps its account.

Dans le monde fastueux mais impitoyable du Paris post-napoléonien, un jeune homme au bord du désespoir découvre par hasard un objet qui changera son destin à jamais. Raphaël de Valentin, appauvri et désabusé, acquiert un mystérieux morceau de cuir enchanté, la peau d'un âne sauvage, qui exauce tous les souhaits de son propriétaire. Cependant, chaque désir exaucé a un coût terrible : la peau rétrécit, et avec elle, la durée de vie de Raphaël.

The Red Inn is a dark and suspenseful tale where two army surgeons become entangled in a chilling murder at a secluded inn. As the tension mounts and secrets unravel, justice and fate hang in the balance. A gripping classic of crime and intrigue.

First published in French in 1841 as Ursule Mirouët, Ursula is a captivating part of Balzac’s monumental series, The Human Comedy. The story revolves around a wealthy, elderly doctor who has raised his goddaughter, the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law, an illegitimate man himself. As the doctor retires to a provincial town filled with relatives vying for a share of his fortune, the tension rises. These relatives, driven by greed and entitlement under the stringent French inheritance laws of the time, represent a stark contrast to the beloved goddaughter, who has no legal claim to his...

“The Two Brothers” (1842) is a captivating piece from Balzac’s monumental series, “The Human Comedy.” Originally titled “La Rabouilleuse” in French, it has also been known as “The Black Sheep” and “A Bachelor’s Establishment” in various English translations. Delving deep into the complexities of family dynamics, Balzac paints a vivid picture of strained relationships among parents, children, and siblings. Set in a small town in post-Napoleonic France, a father’s mistaken belief about his daughter’s legitimacy leads to her being raised by her in-laws in Paris. As she...

In “The Duchess of Langeais” (1834), part of Balzac’s monumental series “The Human Comedy,” we are transported to post-Napoleonic Paris during the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. Balzac critiques the aristocracy for squandering its opportunity to provide leadership and stability, instead indulging in a life of entitlement and superficiality within the confines of elegant salons. The novel unfolds a tumultuous love affair, hindered by the obsessive manipulations of its two main characters the duchess, a pampered product of civilization, and a military hero who, despite his ...

La Grande Bretèche serves as a captivating addendum to Balzacs Another Study of Woman, concluding a series of intriguing stories shared around a dinner table. This particular tale, unveiled to the guests in the early hours of the morning, delves into themes of marital infidelity and revenge, leaving some listeners with restless minds long after the night is over. (Nicholas Clifford)

In the gripping short novel “Colonel Chabert” (1832), part of Balzac’s monumental series “The Human Comedy,” we are drawn into the tumultuous aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. Colonel Chabert, a valiant officer, is declared dead after a fierce battle, leading his wife to inherit his fortune and remarry. However, when Chabert miraculously survives and returns to Paris, he is faced with the daunting challenge of reclaiming his life and legacy. This poignant tale explores the clash between the enduring values of honor and integrity and the ruthless greed that pervades society in the ...