The young protagonist in François Truffaut 's 1959 film The 400 Blows is so enamored of Balzac that he unwittingly plagiarizes the writer and starts a small apartment fire with a candle he lights in Balzac's …

Feb 18, 2026 · Honoré de Balzac was a French literary artist who produced a vast number of novels and short stories collectively called La Comédie humaine (The Human Comedy). He helped to establish …

Dec 25, 2025 · See Honoré de Balzac's books in order, with summaries, background on La Comédie humaine, key themes, and suggestions on where to start reading.

The works of Balzac and fellow French realists Gustave Flaubert and Stendhal, in contrast, were criticized as vulgar and cynical, although they are now considered by scholars as the most significant …

Born in 1799, Honore de Balzac, a novelist and playwright, is best known for presenting a panorama of French life and a founder of realism in European literature.

Honoré de Balzac was a 19th century novelist and playwright very well known for his detailed observations and keen sense of uncensored reality. In fact, Balzac is considered one of the founding …

Jan 18, 2019 · Honoré de Balzac (born Honoré Balssa, May 20, 1799 – August 18, 1850) was a novelist and playwright in nineteenth-century France. His work formed part of the foundation of the realist …

Balzac was notable for his peculiar methods of composition. He often began with a relatively simple subject and a brief first draft, but fresh ideas came crowding in during composition until finally the …

Born in Tours, France, a small provincial town on the Loire River, Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) will have a chance during his youth to observe the mores of provincial life, the topic of several of his …

Honoré de Balzac (French pronunciation: [ɔnɔʁe də balzak]; 20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist and playwright. His most famous work is La Comédie humaine.