9,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: BrightSummaries.com
- Kategorie: Bildung
- Serie: BrightSummaries.com
- Sprache: Englisch
Unlock the more straightforward side of Lost Illusions with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of
Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac, a semi-autobiographical novel that draws on aspects of the author’s own experiences as a printer, writer, journalist and would-be inventor. It centres on a pair of childhood friends from Angoulême, one of whom seeks fame and fortune in Paris while the other struggles to keep his printing business afloat in his hometown. However, the corruption and decadence of Paris may lead them both to ruin…
Lost Illusions is the longest novel in Honoré de Balzac’s monumental series
La Comédie Humaine, which comprised more than 90 loosely connected works of fiction that aimed to create a comprehensive portrait of French society. Balzac is considered to be one of the most important French authors of the 19th century, and was one of the leading figures of the realist movement.
Find out everything you need to know about
Lost Illusions in a fraction of the time!
This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection
Why choose BrightSummaries.com?
Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.
See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Seitenzahl: 22
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018
Ähnliche
HONORÉ DE BALZAC
FRENCH WRITER
Born in Tours in 1799.Died in Paris in 1850.Notable works:The Chouans (1829), novelEugénie Grandet (1833), novelFather Goriot (1835), novelHonoré de Balzac was one of the most significant French writers of the 19th century. He carved out a place for himself in the world of the Parisian aristocracy as a young man, and quickly became a fixture of its social scene. However, he was soon ruined by a series of disastrous business ventures and his decadent lifestyle, and was only able to pay off the enormous debts he had racked up by becoming a writer, a vocation which he pursued with great enthusiasm and diligence.
His lofty literary ambitions led him to begin a monumental work known as La Comédie Humaine (“The Human Comedy”), which consists of more than 90 novels and novellas and aimed to paint a comprehensive portrait of 19th-century French society with a level of detail to rival even the official civil records. The best-known novels in the series include Eugénie Grandet (1833) and Father Goriot (1835).
Balzac is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the modern realist novel.
LOST ILLUSIONS
BALZACIAN REALISM AT ITS FINEST
Genre: novelReference edition: Balzac, H. (2004) Lost Illusions. Trans. Marriage, E. [Online]. Urbana: Project Gutenberg. [Accessed 27 July 2018]. Available from: <http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13159>1stedition: 1837-1843Themes: literary salons, love, journalism, revenge, inventionThe novels of La Comédie Humaine are divided into three major categories: the Études de mœurs (“Studies of manners”), Études philosophiques (“Philosophical studies”) and Études analytiques (“Analytical studies”).
Lost Illusions falls into the category of Études de mœurs, and more specifically the sub-category of Scènes de la vie de province (“Scenes from country life”). This novel, which was written between 1836 and 1843, is one of the longest works Balzac ever wrote, and is a coming-of-age story that incorporates many autobiographical elements. It tells the story of two young intellectuals, one of whom dreams of finding success as an author, while the other hopes to revolutionise the printing industry in his hometown of Angoulême.
The novel was followed by a sequel, Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes (translated variously as “The Splendors and Miseries of Courtesans” or “A Harlot High and Low”), which was published serially between 1838 and 1847. Some of the secondary characters in Lost Illusions also take centre stage in other novels in La Comédie Humaine, including Mlle. des Touches in Béatrix (1839).
