Part of La Comédie Humaine, book 23
First published 1835
Monsieur Goriot once commanded respect at Madame Vauquer's boarding house through his wealth. Now his blue eyes have dulled to leaden grey as his money disappears and fellow lodgers turn away in disgust or pity. Only two beautiful young women still visit him. Goriot insists they are his daughters, but the other residents suspect something else entirely. Among the skeptics is Vautrin, a master criminal who sees through most deceptions. When Eugène Rastignac, an ambitious law student with empty pockets, discovers the real relationship between Goriot and these mysterious women, he decides to exploit this knowledge for his own advancement. Balzac places love and money in direct conflict as Rastignac navigates the social climbing opportunities that Goriot's situation presents. The boarding house becomes a stage where each character's true nature emerges through their treatment of the fallen man.
Genres: fiction, classic-literature, historical-fiction, 19th-century, social, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, social-climbing
Setting: Madame Vauquer's Boarding House
Period: 19th Century
304 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics