Honore de Balzac Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of Human Comedy Books
The Hidden Masterpiece | (1831) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
History of the Thirteen | (1833) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Old Maid, [and] the Cabinet of Antiquities | (1833) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Illustrious Gaudissart | (1833) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Celibates | (1840) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Physiology of Marriage | (1841) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
The Last Fay | (1823) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Quest Of The Absolute | (1834) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Seraphita | (1834) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Melmoth réconcilié | (1835) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Father Goriot and M. Gobseck | (1835) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
La Rabouilleuse | (1840) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Illusions perdues | (1843) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Le Cousin Pons | (1847) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Country Parson | (1896) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
About Catherine de Medici | (1900) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Eugénie Grandet | (1914) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Père Goriot | (1950) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Cousin Bette | (1965) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Black Sheep | (1976) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Lost Illusions | (1976) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Wild Ass's Skin | (1977) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Unknown Masterpiece | (1983) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Old Goriot | (1987) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau | (1989) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Lily of the Valley | (1989) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Woman Of Thirty | (2000) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas
Publication Order of Short Story Collections
After Dinner Stories from Balzac | (1832) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The King's Sweetheart, The Maid of Thilouse, and The Reproach | (1832) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Juana, and the Red Inn | (1833) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Napolean of the People and El Verdugo | (1833) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Massimilla Doni and Le Chef D'Oeuvre Inconnu | (1839) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Tales of the Napoleonic Era | (1841) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Tragedy by the Sea and Other Stories | (1842) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Marriage Settlement, And, Modeste Mignon: And Other Stories | (1844) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Member For Arcis, The Seamy Side Of History, And Other Stories Part 2 | (1847) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Atheist's Mass, and Other Stories | (1986) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Ten Droll Tales | (1987) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Domestic Peace | (1989) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Commission in Lunacy, and Pierre Grassou | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Exiles, and Other Short Stories | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Celibates And Other Stories | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
At The Sign Of The Cat And Racket / The Ball At Sceaux / The Purse / Madame Firmiani / Pierrette | (2009) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Honore de Balzac, Vol. 8: Provincial Life | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Magic Skin. the Hidden Masterpiece | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Country Parsonand Albert Savaron | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Chouans; The Gondreville Mystery, and Other Stories | (2018) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
Publication Order of Les Illusions Perdues Books
Publication Order of La Comédie Humaine Books
Gobseck | (1830) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Second Home | (1830) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Sarrasine | (1830) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
An Episode Under The Terror | (1830) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Study of a Woman | (1830) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Red Inn | (1831) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Recruit | (1831) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Magic Skin | (1831) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Colonel Chabert | (1832) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Vicar Of Tours | (1832) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Drama on the Seashore | (1834) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Father Goriot | (1835) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Daughter Of Eve | (1838) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life | (1838) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Beatrix | (1838) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Village Rector | (1839) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Catherine De Medici | (1841) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Two Brothers | (1842) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Man of Business | (1844) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Unconscious Comedians | (1846) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Chouans | (1929) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Anthologies
65 Great Tales Of Horror | (1981) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
50 Classic Novellas | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Dover Anthology of Cat Stories | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Writers: Their Lives and Works | (2018) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Classic Cat Stories | (2020) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Honore De Balzac was a French playwright and novelist who is famously known for the La Comedie Humaine book series. Due to his keen observation of details and an altered representation of society, Honore de Balzac is regarded as one of the main founders of realism in literature. Balzac is renowned for his unique and complex characters. In fact, his supporting characters are also exceedingly unique and complex, fully human and morally ambiguous. Furthermore, his inanimate objects are also filled with character, especially the city of Paris that the author gives human like qualities. Balzac’s work has influenced so many renowned authors such as Charles Dickens, Emela Zola, Jack Kerouac, Henry James and Akira Kurosawa. A majority of his works have been adapted into a screenplay.
A year after he was under the care of a wet-nurse, Balzac joined his sister with whom they spent more than four years away from home. During this period, wet-nurses were exceedingly popular, though many authors encouraged mothers to take care of their children. Upon returning home with his sister, Balzac did not spend enough time, with his parents, and thus, he was greatly affected. When he was ten years old, Honore de Balzac was sent to Oratorian Grammar school. He attended the school for seven years. Seeking to instill the same working ethics, which had allowed him to gain self-esteem, Balzac’s father used to intentionally give him less spending money. This, in turn, made the boy an easy target for bullying and ridicule.
As an independent and enthusiastic thinker, Honore de Balzac had trouble adjusting to the school’s teaching style. Balzac’s strong-minded nature caused him lots of trouble and also frustrated his ambitions to succeed in the world of business. Once he finished school, Honore de Balzac worked as a clerk. However, it did not take long before Balzac was disappointed with banal routine and inhumane nature of the job. During his career as an author, Honore de Balzac tried to be a printer, publisher, politician, and critic. However, Honore de Balzac failed completely in all these lines of work. In one of his works, Honore de Belzac reflects on his real-life challenges and has even included scenes from his life.
Pere Giriot
Of late the word drama has constantly been discredited; not only has the word been twisted but it has also been overworked. However, Honore de Balzac has done some great justice to the word drama, by authoring this outstanding novel, Pere Giriot. The storyline in this book is focused on two main characters, Eugene Rastignac a young student and Father Goriot. Goriot and Rastignac live together in one of the boarding houses in Paris, though separated by an exceedingly thin wall. Goriot is a father to lovely daughters, both of whom are married while Rastignac is still dependent on his parents. This book has everything from intrigue and murder through Vautrin, one of the characters in the book. Pere Giriot also has humor with the author using humorous conversations and banter.
Just like King Lear, Father Goriot loved his two daughters; however, he was still not successful in controlling them. In the end, they managed to drain him all of his wealth while constantly refusing to visit him even when he was on his deathbed. The author has done an excellent job of portraying how tailoring was considered to be a highly successful career; thus it made most men exceedingly successful.
The women who loved the high life were constantly fighting economic desperation, fighting unfaithful and stingy husbands and pawning jewelry. Eugene Ratignac is somehow fascinated and repulsed by the high society just like the way Balzac is. Honore de Balzac manages to pour himself enthusiastically into the story. Furthermore, the author has also managed to paint thousands of portraits in his literary works. With that said, the author has managed to capture an exceedingly important topic, the want for money, which was and still is an important theme. The author’s bejeweled rich and accurate descriptions are exceedingly wonderful especially when he was describing the boarding house and the impecunious mansion at the very beginning.
Letters of the Two Brides
This is an epistolary novel and is the third book in the La Comedie Humane series by Honore de Balzac. This installment was first serialized and published, by La Presse, a French newspaper in the year, 1841. Letters of the Two Brides is a story about two French women, Louise and Renee who eventually become close friends while working at the Carmelite convent. Once they leave Covent, they take different paths. Louise follows a life that is full of romance whereas Renee takes a logical approach. However, through their correspondence their relationship is preserved; hence it continues throughout the years. Louise is expected to take the veil. However, she refuses to sacrifice herself. By good luck, her dying mother intervenes and donates her fortune. By doing this, she rescues Louise from an enclosed life and leaves her financially independent. Since she has the ability to assist her brothers without necessarily having to give up on her ambitions, Louise decides to settle in Paris and decides to indulge herself in Paris’s opera life, romantic intrigue and masque balls.
While working at the Operas, Lose falls in love with Felipe Henarez, a noble Spaniard. Expelled from Spain, Felipe lives in Paris and survives by teaching the residents Spanish. When Felipe regains his noble standing and fortune, he successfully woes Louise. It does not take long before the two, get married and lead a carefree life. Unlike Louise who believes in romance, Renee’s attitude towards romance is very different. Once she left the convent, Renee moved to Provence where she married an older man for his wealth and not out of love. Renee gives birth to three children and over the years that followed, she devoted her soul and body to her family. As time went by, Renee learned to love her husband, and through Renee’s encouragement, the man can make a name for himself in the local politics. The man eventually becomes a peer of France.
With that said, the letter of the two brides is an exceptionally written drama. It is a story about friendship, marriage, and love. The author’s style of writing is exceptional, thus if you haven’t read any of his books before, you are going to fall in love with the author.
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