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BiblioBazaar (2007), 192 pages
Description
Saumur, the setting for Eugenie Grandet (1833), one of the earliest and most famous novels in Balzac's great Comedie humaine. The Grandet household, oppressed by the exacting miserliness of Grandet himself, is jerked violently out of routine by the sudden arrival of Eugenie's cousin Charles, recently orphaned and penniless. Eugenie's emotional awakening, stimulated by her love for her cousin, brings her into direct conflict with her father, whose cunning and financial success are matched against her determination to rebel. Eugenie's moving story is set against the backdrop of provincial oppression, the vicissitudes of the wine trade, and the workings of the financial system in the aftermath of the French Revolution. It is both a poignant portrayal of private life and a vigorous fictional document of its age. Book jacket.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member MaowangVater
Monsieur Grandet is the wealthiest man in the provincial town of Saumur. The former cooper has used his business acumen and wiles, amid the social upheavals following the French Revolution and the subsequent Empire and Restoration, to skillfully acquire vineyards and a horde of gold that’s the
Skillfully, succinctly and realistically Balzac constructs his story of monomaniacal greed and domestic bullying, punctuated with dramatic scenes of intense emotions, set against a backdrop of drab melancholy. However, like Dickens he can portray the striving for social status and wealth with a sharp and witty eye.
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envy of all. Yet the miser continues to dress as a laborer, and live in the same gloomy old house with his wife and daughter Eugénie as before. Their only visitors to this dismal abode are the families of his lawyer and banker, vying for the hand of Eugénie and her eventual inheritance. So the sudden appearance of a dashing and handsome young man from Paris into their midst quite upsets everyone’s schemes.Skillfully, succinctly and realistically Balzac constructs his story of monomaniacal greed and domestic bullying, punctuated with dramatic scenes of intense emotions, set against a backdrop of drab melancholy. However, like Dickens he can portray the striving for social status and wealth with a sharp and witty eye.
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LibraryThing member electrascaife
In the post-French Revolution town of Saumur, the sweet and naive Eugenie is much sought after as a bride (for her father's money, mostly) although she seems generally unaware of the attention. She, her mother and their one servant lead a sheltered and Spartan life under the miserly and tyrannical
Well, it's not a happy read, but a well-crafted one, and it includes one of the most easy-to-loathe characters (Eugenie's father) I've ever come across. Recommended, if you like that sort of thing - think Thomas Hardy, but maybe a half-step less dreadfully depressing.
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gaze of her father, a local baron of the wine trade. When she falls in love with her penniless cousin and gives her savings away to help him, she starts down a path of misery and disappointment.Well, it's not a happy read, but a well-crafted one, and it includes one of the most easy-to-loathe characters (Eugenie's father) I've ever come across. Recommended, if you like that sort of thing - think Thomas Hardy, but maybe a half-step less dreadfully depressing.
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LibraryThing member jonfaith
No need for histrionic qualification, this was a sublime novel.
LibraryThing member endersreads
First and foremost I must rain fury down upon the head of M.A. Crawford, not for his translation, but for the infuriating introduction. I cannot understand these types of egotistical introductions that try to reveal the entirety of the story while simultaneously critiquing and commenting on the
I found myself at first disgusted my Monsieur Grandet. I then came to realize that he was absolutely correct in everything he did (aside from not enjoying his wealth in any other way but to clandestinely stroke it). I came to despise Eugenie Grandet. Why would I do that?
What was it that Eugenie first saw in her cousin Charles that sparked her love for him? It was the flash of materialism personified.
Had her love been sparked for Charles upon his fall, and been borne out of pity, I might not despise her so, and yet... She is her father's daughter. His fall only gave her justification to feel what she already felt for Charles.
Her sense of her own awakened independence, her goodness, her uniqueness, her saintliness—all false. She was and is an ignorant and sheltered girl who was twisted not by the love of money but by the love of something infinitely more silly—the woman's concept of gilded romance. Eugenie was a youthful Don Quixote in panties, Charles her Dulcinea, except in this case Dulcinea was no ragged plump farm girl but a realized and not idealized Dulcinea, all the more tempting.
Her fall was due to her worshiping the image of a fancy-pants'; as her father so often pointed out, "a vagabond with morocco boots." Not only is Eugenie ignorant, she is shallow. Love at first sight! Ta ta ta ta! Though Eugenie is "in the world though not of the world", as Balzac tells us, her reasoning and her actual actions show us that she is indeed "of the world". She is false tenderness, I say—cracked.
Monsieur Grandet, though cruel and immoral, is true to himself and his own set of economic laws. I fancy him as London's Wolf Larsen landed ashore. I like him, though he is evil. He is in the world, of the world, and he conquers the world.
If anyone is worthy of God's heaven, who is "in the world, not of the world", truly it is Mrs. Grandet, Eugenie's dear mother. She is blameless but for the single lie she told to protect her daughter.
Nanon is an interesting character. I don't trust her. Certainly she is not bourgeois, though she ends up an elite, which certainly must have been an odd thing to behold. Nanon was the wolf's right arm. When the wolf was not looking, Nanon was up to all sorts of innocent mischievousness. Though loyal, she is not trustworthy. She is both wolf and lamb and more ignorant of the world than Eugenie, though she is full of worldly wisdom. I find her somewhat of a paradox, and quite disturbing, as paradoxes are not suppose to exist in reality. Goofy lovable zombie is a term that comes to mind... I'm weird I guess. Most people would say that Nanon, if not Eugenie, is the most lovable character in the book. She creeps me out. Eugenie pisses me off with her shallowness.
Poor Charles. Charles is a typical example of man. I look at his life as more of a tragedy than Eugenie's; not because of money, love, and opportunity lost, but because of the depth of the cataclysm into which he fell, and what monster crawled forth into the world from it.
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true intent of the author before the reader has cracked the 1st page. These all to common of introductions only make sense, and do not anger the reader, after the story has already been digested. These sordid types of introductions should not be called introductions and should not be read before the reading of the book, as they will most certainly contain spoilers. I skimmed Crawford's horrid intro over as quickly as possible (which was not in a short while, due to it's maniacal length) while silently fuming.I found myself at first disgusted my Monsieur Grandet. I then came to realize that he was absolutely correct in everything he did (aside from not enjoying his wealth in any other way but to clandestinely stroke it). I came to despise Eugenie Grandet. Why would I do that?
What was it that Eugenie first saw in her cousin Charles that sparked her love for him? It was the flash of materialism personified.
Had her love been sparked for Charles upon his fall, and been borne out of pity, I might not despise her so, and yet... She is her father's daughter. His fall only gave her justification to feel what she already felt for Charles.
Her sense of her own awakened independence, her goodness, her uniqueness, her saintliness—all false. She was and is an ignorant and sheltered girl who was twisted not by the love of money but by the love of something infinitely more silly—the woman's concept of gilded romance. Eugenie was a youthful Don Quixote in panties, Charles her Dulcinea, except in this case Dulcinea was no ragged plump farm girl but a realized and not idealized Dulcinea, all the more tempting.
Her fall was due to her worshiping the image of a fancy-pants'; as her father so often pointed out, "a vagabond with morocco boots." Not only is Eugenie ignorant, she is shallow. Love at first sight! Ta ta ta ta! Though Eugenie is "in the world though not of the world", as Balzac tells us, her reasoning and her actual actions show us that she is indeed "of the world". She is false tenderness, I say—cracked.
Monsieur Grandet, though cruel and immoral, is true to himself and his own set of economic laws. I fancy him as London's Wolf Larsen landed ashore. I like him, though he is evil. He is in the world, of the world, and he conquers the world.
If anyone is worthy of God's heaven, who is "in the world, not of the world", truly it is Mrs. Grandet, Eugenie's dear mother. She is blameless but for the single lie she told to protect her daughter.
Nanon is an interesting character. I don't trust her. Certainly she is not bourgeois, though she ends up an elite, which certainly must have been an odd thing to behold. Nanon was the wolf's right arm. When the wolf was not looking, Nanon was up to all sorts of innocent mischievousness. Though loyal, she is not trustworthy. She is both wolf and lamb and more ignorant of the world than Eugenie, though she is full of worldly wisdom. I find her somewhat of a paradox, and quite disturbing, as paradoxes are not suppose to exist in reality. Goofy lovable zombie is a term that comes to mind... I'm weird I guess. Most people would say that Nanon, if not Eugenie, is the most lovable character in the book. She creeps me out. Eugenie pisses me off with her shallowness.
Poor Charles. Charles is a typical example of man. I look at his life as more of a tragedy than Eugenie's; not because of money, love, and opportunity lost, but because of the depth of the cataclysm into which he fell, and what monster crawled forth into the world from it.
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LibraryThing member thorold
A gripping story with a surprisingly simple structure: with its claustrophobic setting (most of the action takes place in one room, and almost all in the same house) and small cast of characters, it could almost be a stage play. Most of the interest is in the ambiguous characterisation and the
I got a little bit lost in the detail of the financial transactions — quite apart from anything else it's not trivial keeping track of the currency units — so I'm sure there were subtleties that escaped me, but I don't think that matters too much.
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cunning way in which Balzac manipulates our sympathy to make us gradually come to see the flaws of the "good" characters and the virtues of the "bad" ones, until we aren't sure any more whom we can identify with. Things aren't as black-and-white as they are with Dickens.I got a little bit lost in the detail of the financial transactions — quite apart from anything else it's not trivial keeping track of the currency units — so I'm sure there were subtleties that escaped me, but I don't think that matters too much.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
Eugenie Grandet is one of the signature works of French literature, and Flaubert, who wrote Madame Bovary and is arguably the most celebrated French novelist, was supposedly greatly influenced by Balzac. It's easy reading Eugene Grandet to trace the line of realism in French literature from
Mind you, that's not Eugenie's guiding passion--and I think that's the one aspect of the novel that makes me deny it a fifth star. This is a pretty short novel, less than 200 pages--yet richer than many a bloated classic that goes on for hundreds of pages. It's rich in incident, style and character--that comes through even in translation. It's easy to understand why Henry James thought Balzac the greatest novelist in literature. And indeed I can see a strong resemblance between Catherine Sloper of James' Washington Square and Eugenie. Except Catherine feels more real, more an individual and more the center of her own story. For that matter to me so do secondary female characters in Stendahl's The Red and the Black, let alone Emma Bovary. For a title character Eugenie seems rather pallid to me, more acted upon than acting. Her father and love are more interesting, more central to her fate--it's their avarice that matters. Eugenie never quite seemed real to me, but more the "angelic" kind of figure that annoyed me in so much of Dickens that I've read.
That said, yes, this is well worth reading and I'll remember this novel for a long time. Pere Grandet is a monster of miserliness like none I've read in literature. And I'm told with Balzac there's much more to him than one novel can convey. He embarked upon the ambitious project of linking his novels in a shared world, "La Comédie humaine," so minor characters in one often become the protagonists of others. And believe me, after reading this novel, this won't be the last I read of Balzac.
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Stendahl's The Red and the Black, its predecessor, and Madame Bovary, its successor. All three concern themselves with people from the French provinces, which are presented as largely petty and grasping. All feature styles that are amazing in their command of details--rich but never rambling. All three novels deal with monomania. In the case of Madame Bovary, she seeks passion--the search for love (or lust?) rules all. With Julian Sorel of The Red and the Black it's ambition, as Sorel seeks to rise above his peasant roots. In this novel the ruling, blighting passion is avarice--money, gold, miserliness.Mind you, that's not Eugenie's guiding passion--and I think that's the one aspect of the novel that makes me deny it a fifth star. This is a pretty short novel, less than 200 pages--yet richer than many a bloated classic that goes on for hundreds of pages. It's rich in incident, style and character--that comes through even in translation. It's easy to understand why Henry James thought Balzac the greatest novelist in literature. And indeed I can see a strong resemblance between Catherine Sloper of James' Washington Square and Eugenie. Except Catherine feels more real, more an individual and more the center of her own story. For that matter to me so do secondary female characters in Stendahl's The Red and the Black, let alone Emma Bovary. For a title character Eugenie seems rather pallid to me, more acted upon than acting. Her father and love are more interesting, more central to her fate--it's their avarice that matters. Eugenie never quite seemed real to me, but more the "angelic" kind of figure that annoyed me in so much of Dickens that I've read.
That said, yes, this is well worth reading and I'll remember this novel for a long time. Pere Grandet is a monster of miserliness like none I've read in literature. And I'm told with Balzac there's much more to him than one novel can convey. He embarked upon the ambitious project of linking his novels in a shared world, "La Comédie humaine," so minor characters in one often become the protagonists of others. And believe me, after reading this novel, this won't be the last I read of Balzac.
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LibraryThing member P_S_Patrick
Like several of Balzac's novels, there is a strong moral theme in the novel's plot, this time the love of money – especially gold. Coupled with stinginess as it is here, it contrasts with materialism in general, giving a character similar in some trains to that of Dickens' Scrooge in a Christmas
Eugenie Grandet is the daughter of a very wealthy but miserly businessman, who plays a slightly greater role in the novel than her. They live in the large provincial town of Saumur, in a somewhat Spartan existence in grand but poorly-maintained house. Sheltered from the world, oblivious to her father's machinations, and kept companion by her caring mother, Eugenie grows up with an angelic and impressionable character. The other member of their small household is the housekeeper Nanon, who is also endearing and well characterised.
Throughout the novel, the two main families in the town vie for Eugenie's hand, and though she is oblivious to their motivation behind their attentions, her father plays them off to benefit from the one-upmanship. Things are shaken up however when her wealthy cousin Charles arrives from Paris. She instantly falls in love due to his good looks and charm, and her world view begins to change. A further unsuspected change in fortune occurs for one of the characters, and this brings about the events that make up the rest of the plot.
Many of the other usual Balzac themes are present – death, unrequited love, monomania, and social and psychological goings-on. This is not one of Balzac's longest novels, but it is very complete in what it is, without the tendency to drag out events unnecessarily such as in “Le Curé de Village”. It would therefore be a great introduction to Balzac, and his Comedie Humaine.
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Carol (published a decade later).Eugenie Grandet is the daughter of a very wealthy but miserly businessman, who plays a slightly greater role in the novel than her. They live in the large provincial town of Saumur, in a somewhat Spartan existence in grand but poorly-maintained house. Sheltered from the world, oblivious to her father's machinations, and kept companion by her caring mother, Eugenie grows up with an angelic and impressionable character. The other member of their small household is the housekeeper Nanon, who is also endearing and well characterised.
Throughout the novel, the two main families in the town vie for Eugenie's hand, and though she is oblivious to their motivation behind their attentions, her father plays them off to benefit from the one-upmanship. Things are shaken up however when her wealthy cousin Charles arrives from Paris. She instantly falls in love due to his good looks and charm, and her world view begins to change. A further unsuspected change in fortune occurs for one of the characters, and this brings about the events that make up the rest of the plot.
Many of the other usual Balzac themes are present – death, unrequited love, monomania, and social and psychological goings-on. This is not one of Balzac's longest novels, but it is very complete in what it is, without the tendency to drag out events unnecessarily such as in “Le Curé de Village”. It would therefore be a great introduction to Balzac, and his Comedie Humaine.
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LibraryThing member stillatim
I read this after a long, unfulfilling, opaque, modernist novel. Suffice to say, my palate is cleansed. As ever, Balzac, despite the fact that he couldn't write a decent sentence if you gave him a copy of Gide's collected works and told him you didn't mind if he plagiarized one, holds your
***
"Misers hold no belief in a life beyond the grave, the present is all in all to them. This thought throws a pitilessly clear light upon the irreligious times in which we live, for today more than in any previous era money is the force behind the law, politically and socially. Books and institutions, the actions of men and their doctrines, all combine to undermine the belief in a future life upon which the fabric of society has been built for eighteen hundred years. The grave holds few terrors for us now, is little feared as a transition stage upon man's journey. That future which once awaited us beyond the Requiem has been transported into the present. To reach per fas et nefas an early paradise of luxury and vanity and pleasure, to turn one's heart to stone and mortify the flesh for the sake of fleeting enjoyment of earthly treasure, as saints once suffered martyrdom in the hope of eternal bliss, is now the popular ambition! It is an ambition stamped on our age and seen in everything, even the very laws whose enaction requires the legislator to exercise not his critical faculty, but his power of producing money. Not 'What do you think?' but 'What can you pay?' is the question he is asked now. When the doctrine has been handed down from the bourgeoisie to the people, what will become of our country?"
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attention by exaggerating everything to absurd dimensions, including his sense of his own importance. You want to know what capitalism looks like? It looks like this. Grandet makes Scrooge look like some soft-hearted dandy's version of greed. ***
"Misers hold no belief in a life beyond the grave, the present is all in all to them. This thought throws a pitilessly clear light upon the irreligious times in which we live, for today more than in any previous era money is the force behind the law, politically and socially. Books and institutions, the actions of men and their doctrines, all combine to undermine the belief in a future life upon which the fabric of society has been built for eighteen hundred years. The grave holds few terrors for us now, is little feared as a transition stage upon man's journey. That future which once awaited us beyond the Requiem has been transported into the present. To reach per fas et nefas an early paradise of luxury and vanity and pleasure, to turn one's heart to stone and mortify the flesh for the sake of fleeting enjoyment of earthly treasure, as saints once suffered martyrdom in the hope of eternal bliss, is now the popular ambition! It is an ambition stamped on our age and seen in everything, even the very laws whose enaction requires the legislator to exercise not his critical faculty, but his power of producing money. Not 'What do you think?' but 'What can you pay?' is the question he is asked now. When the doctrine has been handed down from the bourgeoisie to the people, what will become of our country?"
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LibraryThing member foomy
A story about someone who you would think to be a genius but
he turns out to be a tyrant over his sick wife. Absolutely tricky,
wicked personality.
he turns out to be a tyrant over his sick wife. Absolutely tricky,
wicked personality.
LibraryThing member Smiler69
Set in the historic French town of Saumur, which is surrounded by vineyards and produces some of France's finest wines, we are first introduced to Eugénie's father, Félix Grandet, and told how in the early 19th century, having married a rich merchant's daughter, he came to amass a vast fortune,
I won't detail here the extent of the man's avarice, because Balzac obviously took great delight in describing his mean creation, with a plot which continually underlines and confirms Grandet's sordid nature. Eugénie is a loving daughter who takes no offence at her father's constant mistreatment. The story takes off on Eugénie's 23rd birthday; the families of Grandet's lawyer and of his banker have been invited, both groups having high hopes of marrying their sons to the heiress. An unexpected guest also makes an appearance: Grandet's handsome nephew Charles Grandet, freshly arrived from Paris. The young man is a true Parisian dandy, such as are never seen in Saumur, and makes a not entirely positive impression, but Eugénie, seeing the splendour of her cousin's appearance, is suddenly made aware of the shabby state of their house. Charles has been sent over by his father, who has very suddenly found himself bankrupt, and has hopes that his brother Félix will take the spoiled young man under his wing and help him find an adequate means of earning a living. It seems that Balzac first had the idea for the great undertaking that was The Human Comedy (which consists of 91 finished works), while writing Eugénie Grandet in 1833. Though the subject of avarice is certainly a distasteful one, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which will from now on rank among my all-time favourites. The experience was made all the more pleasurable thanks to the narration on this audiobook version by the French actor André Dussollier.
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in part due to his business acumen but also by having inherited the estates of his grandmother, his mother-in-law and grandfather-in-law, all in the same year. Grandet produced what was considered to be the best wine in the country, so that his fortune was constantly increased, and we are soon shown what manner of despicable meiser he was. Nobody in this small town, where everybody knows his or her neighbour's business, knew exactly the extent of the man's fortune, so scrupulous was he to hide any sign of it, though many were those who were certain (and not wrongly) that he hid away a great pile of gold which he liked to admire regularly. Though he could easily afford to live like a great lord, Grandet employed only one person in his service, the old Nanon, who showed her master an unwavering devotion and in return was made to work like a dog. Far from spoiling his wife and only daughter Eugénie, the despotic Grandet forced them to work at mending all the household's clothing, this task keeping them busy from morning to night. I won't detail here the extent of the man's avarice, because Balzac obviously took great delight in describing his mean creation, with a plot which continually underlines and confirms Grandet's sordid nature. Eugénie is a loving daughter who takes no offence at her father's constant mistreatment. The story takes off on Eugénie's 23rd birthday; the families of Grandet's lawyer and of his banker have been invited, both groups having high hopes of marrying their sons to the heiress. An unexpected guest also makes an appearance: Grandet's handsome nephew Charles Grandet, freshly arrived from Paris. The young man is a true Parisian dandy, such as are never seen in Saumur, and makes a not entirely positive impression, but Eugénie, seeing the splendour of her cousin's appearance, is suddenly made aware of the shabby state of their house. Charles has been sent over by his father, who has very suddenly found himself bankrupt, and has hopes that his brother Félix will take the spoiled young man under his wing and help him find an adequate means of earning a living. It seems that Balzac first had the idea for the great undertaking that was The Human Comedy (which consists of 91 finished works), while writing Eugénie Grandet in 1833. Though the subject of avarice is certainly a distasteful one, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which will from now on rank among my all-time favourites. The experience was made all the more pleasurable thanks to the narration on this audiobook version by the French actor André Dussollier.
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LibraryThing member ctpress
"Eugenie Grandet" takes place in a gloomy house in the French village Saumur. Monsieur Grandet is an extremely rich old miser that makes life miserable for his wife and daughter Eugenie. When her handsome cousin Charles arrives without a penny to his name, Eugenies passion awakens. Against her
Balzac’s novel is - like "Pere Goriot" - a part of his La Comédie Humaine. It’s an almost grotesque study in the detrimental effects of the power of money. It starts lighthearted with descriptions of Monsieur Grandets miserly life where every penny is saved and none spent - soon it turns into a bitter and ugly fight.
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fathers will she use her own money to help Charles. It’s the beginning to a tragic fight between two strong wills.Balzac’s novel is - like "Pere Goriot" - a part of his La Comédie Humaine. It’s an almost grotesque study in the detrimental effects of the power of money. It starts lighthearted with descriptions of Monsieur Grandets miserly life where every penny is saved and none spent - soon it turns into a bitter and ugly fight.
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LibraryThing member Schmerguls
1193. Eugenie Grandet, by Honore de Balzac (read 2 Nov 1972) I found this absorbing reading, especially the first 2/3rds of the novel. Grandet is a miser, who tyrannizes over his wife and daughter. The daughter falls in love with her cousin, gives him her money, he takes off for the Indies--leaving
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Eugenie to face her father's wrath. In retrospect the story seems slight, but I enjoyed it greatly. Show Less
LibraryThing member Castlelass
Set in western France, this is a morality tale about the damaging effects of greed. Protagonist Eugénie Grandet is the daughter of Felix Grandet, the miserly owner of a country estate. Felix desires to arrange a wealthy marriage for his daughter, but Eugénie falls in love with her cousin Charles,
Published in 1833, this book is part of de Balzac’s body of work, The Human Comedy, but it can easily be read as a standalone. The author is clearly commenting on his society’s obsession with money. It is not particularly nuanced but is worth reading for its historic significance. The writing is eloquent and descriptive, and there are a few surprises toward the end. I enjoy reading classics like this one.
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who has become bankrupt upon the death of his father. Charles leaves to seek his fortune in the Indies, and they vow to marry upon his return. Published in 1833, this book is part of de Balzac’s body of work, The Human Comedy, but it can easily be read as a standalone. The author is clearly commenting on his society’s obsession with money. It is not particularly nuanced but is worth reading for its historic significance. The writing is eloquent and descriptive, and there are a few surprises toward the end. I enjoy reading classics like this one.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
Great book! Maybe it is even 4.5 *
Balzac's characters were all well written (even though not all were very nice) & the prose was extremely readable. I found the ending rather sad...
Balzac's characters were all well written (even though not all were very nice) & the prose was extremely readable. I found the ending rather sad...
LibraryThing member Kristelh
Finished this one today, which is the authors first book. His style is considered to be realism. Eugenia is the only child of a miserly wine grower and her mother. She is raised in a very miserly manner, counting out sugar cubes, cups of milk, etc. Everything is rationed but she is a prize catch to
"Principal issues include social ambition, thwarted dreams, disappointed love, greed, and underpinning everything else the accumulation of property and the yearning for social status. Balzac on the other hand is one of literature’s most famously intrusive narrators. He pretends to be offering a neutral and unbiased account of events. This is in keeping with his claim that he is acting like a scientist or a professional sociologist, recording the history of French manners in the post-revolutionary epoch."
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any lucky mail as she will be wealthy. A cousin arrives and Eugenia falls in love but his arrival is not a good omen, he has arrived because of his father's debts and suicide. His uncle arranges to send him away to the indies where he works in the slave trade and other things like usery etc. Eugenia waits for his return, and while she waits she becomes more like her father. The novel explores material desires and one line in the book states that Christianity is a misers religion. "Principal issues include social ambition, thwarted dreams, disappointed love, greed, and underpinning everything else the accumulation of property and the yearning for social status. Balzac on the other hand is one of literature’s most famously intrusive narrators. He pretends to be offering a neutral and unbiased account of events. This is in keeping with his claim that he is acting like a scientist or a professional sociologist, recording the history of French manners in the post-revolutionary epoch."
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LibraryThing member japaul22
I was not particularly drawn into this story of the young, wealthy heiress, Eugenie Grandet. Though Eugenie will inherit wealth from her father, the family lives in a miserly way until a visit from a young, attractive city cousin, Charles, changes things. Charles brings a letter from his father for
To me, it all felt more like a fable than like real characters. I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters and felt the whole premise was overblown and overdramatic. I picked up Balzac on a whim since he's referenced so much in Proust and I'd never read any. I won't be rushing back!
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Grandet in which he makes it clear that he is bankrupt and about to kill himself. He leaves it to Grandet to break this to Charles. Eugenie of course falls in love with Charles but he leaves for the Indies to try to remake his fortune. Grandet, instead of hoarding his money as he always has, is led into investing his money and learns the glories of compounding interest. Grandet is obsessed with money and Eugenie is obsessed with her love and I suppose the results of these obsessions is the point of the book. To me, it all felt more like a fable than like real characters. I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters and felt the whole premise was overblown and overdramatic. I picked up Balzac on a whim since he's referenced so much in Proust and I'd never read any. I won't be rushing back!
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LibraryThing member snash
A tale of greed. The young naive lovers were driven apart and ended up as obsessed with money as the unbelievably miserly father.
LibraryThing member Miro
I studied Eugenie Grandet for a French "A" level and ended up liking it and Balzac a lot. He's got a great feeling for people giving them plenty of space to develop. Eugenie is completely memorable as her dreams of freedom turn into an emptiness when freedom finally arrives.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
Great book! Maybe it is even 4.5 *
Balzac's characters were all well written (even though not all were very nice) & the prose was extremely readable. I found the ending rather sad...
Balzac's characters were all well written (even though not all were very nice) & the prose was extremely readable. I found the ending rather sad...
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original language
French
Original publication date
1833 (first installment)
1834 (full novel)
Physical description
192 p.; 5.75 inches
ISBN
0554072920 / 9780554072920