Rating: 
Summary: Superb Balzac
Review: When Balzac set out to describe the entirety of human emotion, occupation, education, society and mores in France he focused many of the novels on life in Paris. While some may view this book as "soap", it nevertheless artfully describes the incredible social undercurrents, from the high to the low, within Parisian life in that time (1830's). Rich, and aspiring rich men, really did keep courtesans and flaunted their trophies in the same way the rich do today. Their wives often tacitly tolerated these relations even when their husbands displayed their girlfriends in public. Men also came to Paris from the outlying areas to achieve success, fame and become wealthy. Balzac writes vividly about all of this and frames the story within plots and subplots that are interesting and realistic. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Balzac
Review: When Balzac set out to describe the entirety of human emotion, occupation, education, society and mores in France he focused many of the novels on life in Paris. While some may view this book as "soap", it nevertheless artfully describes the incredible social undercurrents, from the high to the low, within Parisian life in that time (1830's). Rich, and aspiring rich men, really did keep courtesans and flaunted their trophies in the same way the rich do today. Their wives often tacitly tolerated these relations even when their husbands displayed their girlfriends in public. Men also came to Paris from the outlying areas to achieve success, fame and become wealthy. Balzac writes vividly about all of this and frames the story within plots and subplots that are interesting and realistic. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Rating:
Summary: the same, only more and better
Review: When I described my fascination with Balzac to a pal of mine, I said, "yeah, it is all about disillusioned and cynical people" and he replied: "I am already disillusioned and cynical, so why should I read it?"Why indeed. This is indispuably one of the best of Balzac's novels, with clearly drawn characters and grim lives in an inexorable descent to self-destruction, which are the classic Balzac themes. It explores the life of a libertine as he ruins himself and his family for the sake of pursuing pretty girls. Unbekonst to him, he gets help from Bette, a cousin full of secret hatreds and bent on vengence. It is very sad to read. One minor character even commits suicide by repeatedly smashing his head into a nail, his only means to finish himself off he could find in his jail cell. So why read it? Well, again, it is for the wider social portraits that you can find, which are offered almost as an aside. Balzac in one section explains the politics behind the statues you see all over Paris, which is fascinating. You also learn of the career of courtisans, as they use their sex to advance themselves. The book is simply full of these thngs, in addition to the psychology of the many interesting main characters. Also unusual for Balzac is the coherency of the story, which does not degenerate into ramblings like many of his other novels as they weave the tapestry of his Comedie Humaine like so many threads, that is, as vehicles in his vast project to fully portray an entire society with characters re-appearing in different situations and venues throughout his interrelated novels. The characters stand on their own here and are more clearly drawn. Hence, it is a great intro to Balzac and may get you hooked for more, that is, if you are masochistic enough to subject yourself to it! Warmly recommended.
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