Lost Illusions
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Handsome would-be poet Lucien Chardon is poor and naïve, but highly ambitious. Failing to make his name in his dull provincial hometown, he is taken up by a patroness, the captivating married woman Madame de Bargeton, and prepares to forge his way in the glamorous beau monde of Paris. But Lucien has entered a world far more dangerous than he realized, as Madame de Bargeton's reputation becomes compromised and the fickle, venomous denizens of the courts and salons conspire to keep him out of their ranks. Lucien eventually learns that, wherever he goes, talent counts for nothing in comparison to money, intrigue and unscrupulousness. Lost Illusions is one of the greatest novels in the rich procession of the Comédie humaine, Balzac's panoramic social and moral history of his times.
About the Author
Balzac was born in 1799, the son of a civil servant. At the age of thirty - heavily in debt and with an unsucessful past behind him - he started work on the first of what were to become a total of ninety novels and short stories that make up The Human Comedy. He died in 1850.
Herbert J. Hunt has been a Fellow at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, Professor of French Language and Literature at London University, and Senior Fellow at Warwick University. He published books on literature and thought in nineteenth-century France, and was the author of a biography of Balzac. he died in 1973.
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AT the time when this story begins, the Stanhope press and inking-rollers were not yet in use in small provincial printing-offices. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
AT the time when this story begins, the Stanhope press and inking-rollers were not yet in use in small provincial printing-offices. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This novel is one of the masterpieces of Balzac's Comedie humaine. Lucien Chardon is brought up in Angouleme and has been spoilt by both his mother and sister. In this provincial setting Lucien has adopted his mother's aristocratic maiden name and has made a bit of an impression in the area. When his mistress takes him to Paris however, things begin to change. He is looked down on and spurned due to his humble beginnings and dropped by his mistress. Lucien soon finds there are two ways to get on, live in poverty and squalor and hope that one day he is recognised, or join the 'gutter press' and make his name and fortune that way. Not surprisingly Lucien chooses the latter way. With a mteorotic rise, stepping on toes and causing animosity Lucien does not last long, and after his lover, an actress dies he decides to return home.
Lucien's sister, Eve and her husband David Sechard are doing all that they can to keep their heads above water. David has already been ripped off by his father in buying his printing business and as he doesn't really have a mind suited to business his rivals are closing in on him.
Balzac really shows the hypocrisy and underhand dealing of his times, with some great satire. This story is still as relevant today as when it was first written, the things that he discusses still go on and helps keep this story fresh. Near the end of this novel Lucien is contemplating suicide when he is prevented by the mysterious priest, Carlos Herrera. To find out what happens then you will have to read A Harlot High and Low: (Splendeurs et Miseres des Courtisanes) (Classics).
Lucien's sister, Eve and her husband David Sechard are doing all that they can to keep their heads above water. David has already been ripped off by his father in buying his printing business and as he doesn't really have a mind suited to business his rivals are closing in on him.
Balzac really shows the hypocrisy and underhand dealing of his times, with some great satire. This story is still as relevant today as when it was first written, the things that he discusses still go on and helps keep this story fresh. Near the end of this novel Lucien is contemplating suicide when he is prevented by the mysterious priest, Carlos Herrera. To find out what happens then you will have to read A Harlot High and Low: (Splendeurs et Miseres des Courtisanes) (Classics).
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Balzac's novels were individual components of a greater linked project in which many of the same characters,sometimes under different names, reappear.Despite this and the length of the book Lost Illusions is an excellent read, particularly the Paris sections. The action is well paced and its satirisation of the different levels of society,the theatre and journalism are amongst the best examples of his writing.No Balzac work is written according to the expectations of twenty first century taste: but for a treatment of hypocrisy and cynicism in society it would be hard to better this.
Format:Paperback
Endlessly fascinating, but what a painful experience it is to read this book. It epitomises Balzac's greatest themes: the provincial trying to make good in Paris, the wreckage in the wake of unbridled ambition, and the complexity and brutality of machinations that few come to understand. Alas, while there are more good guys in this Balzac novel than others, in the latter half of the book the vast majority of them still streak towards financial disaster and their own obscure miseries as they do in most of his novels. But what a great way to learn about what people used to do in those sumptuous chateaux you see all over France and in those splendid buildings in Paris! It is utterly spellbinding and a wonderful view of history.
If you like Balzac, and I love him, the pleasures are akin to addiction: you know what you are getting into when you uncork that bottle, but you just can't stop yourself and it's great while it lasts. Every time I crack one of these novels, my wife rolls her eyes because she knows I am going to rant about the hopelessness, foolishness, and pain of these characters over the next few weeks.
What can I say? The 19th Century was the century of the novel and this is one of its best. Balzac turns the bitterest pessimism into the highest art. Just be forewarned: you need to have a strong stomach to get through it.
If you like Balzac, and I love him, the pleasures are akin to addiction: you know what you are getting into when you uncork that bottle, but you just can't stop yourself and it's great while it lasts. Every time I crack one of these novels, my wife rolls her eyes because she knows I am going to rant about the hopelessness, foolishness, and pain of these characters over the next few weeks.
What can I say? The 19th Century was the century of the novel and this is one of its best. Balzac turns the bitterest pessimism into the highest art. Just be forewarned: you need to have a strong stomach to get through it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Balzac
Book came early and in good condition. Haven't yet finished - it's really long - but enjoying it so far.
Published 8 months ago by E L Clark
All's well that ends well- but only just!
Lost Illusions is a mammoth book to wade through. At times de Balzac seems to be labouring over part of the tale but it is well worth sticking with. Read more
Published 12 months ago by aragorn17
Long winded and detailed but fizzes with energy
This work has nearly all the ingredients commonly associated with the phrase `classic novel'. At nearly 700 pages it is long, furthermore it is translated from the French and... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Brownbear101
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