Honore De Balzac
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Review of The Unknown Masterpiece by Honoré de Balzac
Easily the best entry point into Balzac’s impressive oeuvre, these two short novellas display the key features of this literary master’s ability. The first feature is astounding, complex description, and the second is dramatic, intelligent dialogue. The latter is worthy of a grandiose stage play and the former is often…
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Review of The Wrong Side of Paris by Honoré de Balzac
This lesser-known, final finished Balzac novel comprises 2 halves and is the concluding segment of the Parisian Life chapter of the Human Comedy. There are 3 translations into English with alternate titles, this one being the most recent. As in most of the author’s work, there is a display of…
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Review of Séraphita [And Louis Lambert & The Exiles] by Honoré de Balzac
Rarely have I seen such wise arguments, such logical rhetoric, such splendid lyricism, such sincerity – even within the pages of Balzac Seraphita–seraphitus is one of the author’s personal favorites, or so he said, and it is clear he had a fascination with the hermaphrodite figure in history. Apply this…
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Review of A Harlot High and Low by Honoré de Balzac
There is a singular “textual pleasure” in reading Balzac, once you’ve acquired the taste. It’s decadent. In this unofficial sequel to Lost Illusions, Balzac exercises his capacity to depict psychological tortures. Though I have not read the first novel in this sequence, the four parts of Harlot High and Low…
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Review of Selected Short Stories by Honoré de Balzac
Balzac, I have found, is one of those authors you can read for your whole like, like Dickens, spreading out the oeuvre as necessary Balzac’s books, in my opinion, are not to be consumed like snacks or junk food. They are hearty vegetables, often not terribly exciting, but vigorous and…
L. S. Popovich 