Published in 1835, "Père Goriot" is considered Honoré de Balzac’s masterpiece, the most memorable work in his cycle of novels called "La Comédie HumaiPublished in 1835, "Père Goriot" is considered Honoré de Balzac’s masterpiece, the most memorable work in his cycle of novels called "La Comédie Humaine”.
Everything happens and revolves around Maison Vauquer, a lodging-house in the heart of Paris. The brutality and coldness of their members seems almost inconceivable, and one cannot help but empathize with the only good and pure souls described in the novel: Eugène de Rastignac and Père Goriot.
Rising above everything in the story is undoubtedly the purity, the goodness and the moral perfection of the protagonist. In old Goriot's blind love for his daughters, two creatures whom he has, with grave sacrifices, raised to a social status far superior to his own, is reflected all the greatness of the author's capacity for psychological analysis and, at the same time, all his fierce pessimism in his description of a society dominated by vice and greed.
The ending was one of the finest I have ever had the fortune to read, touching to the core. My first but certainly not last Balzac novel....more
I have learnt a couple things thanks to this book. First of all, that Alexandre Dumas had a son and that he was also a writer. Then, that this story iI have learnt a couple things thanks to this book. First of all, that Alexandre Dumas had a son and that he was also a writer. Then, that this story is what inspired Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata”. Finally, that nothing satisfies me more than reading classics!
Usually, love stories are not my thing, but the one between Marguerite and Armand has a je-ne-sais-quoi of fascinating and enigmatic. The ending, even if obvious, was so moving that kept me awake for quite a while. Recommended for those who love classics and are curious about Dumas son’s literary style....more
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