Part of La Comédie Humaine
First published 1999
The Marquis d'Esgrignon presides over a fading circle of provincial aristocrats in post-Revolutionary France. These nobles lost their fortunes during the Revolution and find themselves forgotten by the restored Bourbon monarchy. The marquis lives with his sister among friends who represent this dying social class. His son departs for Paris, where he plunges into a life of pleasure and extravagance. The young man burns through money he doesn't possess and eventually resorts to forgery to maintain his lifestyle. His crimes threaten to land him in prison or worse. Balzac captures the tragedy of these obsolete social classes, parents destroyed by their children's choices, and a merciless new era where noble names and ancient traditions hold no value. Money has become the only currency that matters. The story weaves together social commentary with romantic adventure, following a young man's reckless descent, his near destruction, and his ultimate rescue.
Genres: classic-literature, french-literature, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: introspective, melancholic, socially-conscious, thought-provoking, tragic
Tropes: fall-from-grace, parent-child-conflict, reckless-youth, redemption-arc
Setting: France, Paris, Provincial France
Period: Post-Revolutionary France, Bourbon Restoration
320 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Gallimard