Honoré de Balzac
French novelist whose vast Human Comedy cycle of nearly 100 interconnected novels and stories provides an unparalleled portrait of French society in the early 19th century. He is considered the founder of European realism.
Works
- Pere GoriotTragedy of elderly father sacrificing everything for ungrateful ambitious daughters
- Cousin BetteNovel depicting two cousins' rivalry and schemes in pursuit of wealth
- Eugenie GrandetNovel of miser's daughter whose hidden love transcends family avarice
- Lost IllusionsNovel exploring ambition, betrayal, and disillusionment in literary and social spheres
- The Wild Ass's SkinPhilosophical novel of a man cursed by magical object granting his wishes