Books about Balzac would fill a fair-sized library. Criticisms on his novels abound, and his contemporaries have provided us with several amusing volumes dealing in a humorous spirit with his eccentricities, and conveying the impression that the author of "La Cousine Bette" and "Le Pere Goriot" was nothing more than an amiable buffoon. Nevertheless, by some strange anomaly, there exists no Life of him derived from original sources, incorporating the information available since the appearance of

Balzac's claims to greatness—The difficulty in attempting a complete Life—His complex character—The intention of this book. At a time when the so-called Realistic School is in the ascendant among novelists, it seems strange that little authentic information should have been published in the English language about the great French writer, Honore de Balzac. Almost alone among his contemporaries, he dared to claim the interest of the world for ordinary men and women solely on the ground of a common

Balzac's appearance, dress, and personality—His imaginary world and schemes for making money—His family, childhood, and school-days. According to Theophile Gautier, herculean jollity was the most striking characteristic of the great writer, whose genius excels in sombre and often sordid tragedy. George Sand, too, speaks of Balzac's "serene soul with a smile in it"; and this was the more remarkable, because he lived at a time when discontent and despair were considered the sign-manual of talent.

1814 - 1820   Balzac's tutors and law studies—His youth, as pictured in the   "Peau de Chagrin"—His father's intention of making him a lawyer   —He begs to be allowed to become a writer—Is allowed his wish   —Life in the Rue Lesdiguieres, privations and starvation—He   writes "Cromwell," a tragedy. At the end of 1814 the Balzac family moved to Paris, as M. de Balzac was put in charge of the Commissariat of the First Division of the Army. Here they took a house in the Rue de Roi-Dore, in the Mara

1820 - 1828 Reading of "Cromwell"—Balzac is obliged to live at home —Unhappiness—Writes romantic novels—Friendship with Madame de Berny—Starts in Paris as publisher and afterwards as printer —Impending bankruptcy only prevented by help from his parents and Madame de Berny. Evidently Balzac's happy faith in the beauty of "Cromwell" had impressed his parents, as, apparently without having seen the play, they had assembled a large concourse of friends for the reading; and between happy pride in his

1828 - 1829   Life in the Rue de Tournon—Privations and despair—Friendships   —Auguste Borget—Madame Carraud—The Duchesse d'Abrantes—George   Sand, etc.—Balzac writes "La Peau de Chagrin" and the   "Physiologie du Marriage"—His right to be entitled "De Balzac." In September, 1828, before the final winding up of affairs, Balzac had fled from Paris, and had gone to spend three weeks with his friends the Pommereuls in Brittany. There he began to write "Les Chouans," the first novel to which he sign

1829 - 1832 Work and increasing fame—Emile de Girardin—Balzac's early relations with the Revue de Paris and quarrel with Amedee Pinchot—First letters from Madame Hanska and the Marquise de Castries—Balzac's extraordinary mode of writing—Burlesque account of it from the Figaro . The record of the next few years of Balzac's life is a difficult one, so many and varied were the interests crowded into them, so short the hours of sleep, and so long the nights of work, followed without rest by an eight

1832   Crisis in Balzac's private life—"Contes Drolatiques"—Madame   Hanska's life before she met Balzac—Description of her appearance   —"Louis Lambert"—Disinterested conduct on the part of Madame de   Berny—Relations between Balzac and his mother—Balzac and the   Marquise de Castries—His despair. The year 1832 was a crisis and a turning-point in the history of Balzac's private life. Old relations changed their aspect; he received a terrible and mortifying wound to his heart and to his vanity;

1832 - 1835   Advertisement in the Quotidienne —Letters between Balzac and   Madame Hanska—His growing attachment to her—Meeting at   Neufchatel—Return to Paris—Work—"Etudes de Moeurs au XIXieme   Siecle"—"Le Medecin de Campagne"—"Eugenie Grandet"—Meets Madame   Hanska at Vienna—"La Duchesse de Langeais"—Balzac's enormous   power of work—"La Recherche de l'Absolu"—"Le Pere Goriot"   —Vienna—Monetary difficulties—Republishes romantic novels   —Continual debt—Amusements. Meanwhile, during the trag

Balzac's portrait as described by Gautier—His character—Belief in magnetism and somnambulism—His attempts to become deputy—His political and religious views. In the Salon of 1837 appeared a portrait of Balzac by Boulanger,[*] of which Theophile Gautier gave the following description in La Presse : "M. de Balzac is not precisely beautiful. His features are irregular; he is fat and short. Here is a summary which does not seem to lend itself to a painting, but this is only the reverse of the medal.

1836 Balzac starts the Chronique de Paris —Balzac and Theophile Gautier—Lawsuit with the Revue de Paris —Failure of the Chronique —Strain and exhaustion—Balzac travels in Italy —Madame Marbouty—Return to Paris—Death of Madame de Berny —Balzac's grief and family anxieties—He is imprisoned for refusal to serve in Garde Nationale—Werdet's failure—Balzac's desperate pecuniary position and prodigies of work—Close of the disastrous year 1836. Balzac opened the first day of the year 1836 by becoming pr

1836 - 1840 "Louise"—Drawing-room in Rue des Batailles—The "Cheval Rouge" —Balzac's second visit to Italy—Conversation with Genoese merchant—Buys Les Jardies at Sevres—Travels to Sardinia to obtain silver from worked-out mines—Disappointment—Balzac goes on to Italy—Takes up his abode in Les Jardies—Life there—He hopes to write a successful play—"L'Ecole des Menages"—Balzac's half-starved condition—He defends Peytel. It is curious to find that during the events recorded in the last chapter, when,

1840 - 1843   "Vautrin"— La Revue Parisienne —Societe des Gens-de-Lettres   —Balzac leaves Les Jardies, and goes to the Rue Basse, Passy   —Death of M. de Hanski—"Les Ressources de Quinola"—"La   Comedie Humaine"—Balzac goes to St. Petersburg to meet Madame   Hanska—Her reasons for deferring the marriage. The sad fate of "L'Ecole des Menages" did not long discourage Balzac. At the beginning of 1840 he made an engagement to provide Harel, the speculative manager of the Theatre Porte-St-Martin, wi

1843 - 1846 Pamela Giraud—Balzac again attempts to become member of the Academie Francaise—Mlle. Henriette Borel's reception into a religious house—Comte Georges Mniszech—"Les Paysans" started in La Presse —Madame Hanska's unreasonableness hinders Balzac's work—He travels with her and her daughter, and they return with him to Passy—Comtesse Anna engaged to Comte Georges Mniszech —Balzac takes Madame Hanska and her daughter to Brussels—He meets Madame Hanska at Baden-Baden—Leaves Paris again, mee

1846 - 1848   Balzac buys a house in the Rue Fortunee—Madame Hanska's visit to   Paris—Balzac burns her letters—Final breach with Emile de   Girardin—Balzac's projects for writing for the theatre—He goes   to Wierzchownia—Plan for transporting oaks from Russia to France   —Balzac returns to Paris at the eve of the Revolution of 1848   —Views on politics—Stands for last time as deputy. Much of Balzac's time, whenever he was in Paris in 1845 and 1846, was taken up with house-hunting; and some of h

1848 - 1849 Description of interior of house in the Rue Fortunee—"La Maratre" —Projected plays—"Le Faiseur"—Balzac seeks admission for the last time to the Academie Francaise—He returns to Wierzchownia —Failing health—Letters to his family—Family relations are strained. During his stay in Paris, which lasted from February till the end of September, Balzac was careful not to admit any strangers to the mysterious little house in the Rue Fortunee. Even his trusted friends were only shown the magnif

1849 - 1850 Peace renewed between Balzac and his family—He thinks of old friends—Madame Hanska's continued vacillations—Dr. Knothe's treatment—Madame Hanska's relations with Balzac, and her ignorance about his illness—Visit to Kiev—Balzac's marriage —His letters to his mother, sister, and to Madame Carraud —Delay in starting for France—Terrible journey—Madame Honore de Balzac's pearl necklace and strange letter—Balzac's married life—Arrival of the newly-married couple in Paris. The quarrel betwe

Balzac's ill-health—Theophile Gautier and Victor Hugo—Balzac's grief about the unfinished "Comedie Humaine"—His interview with the doctor—Victor Hugo's account of his death-bed—Balzac's death and funeral—Life afterwards in the Rue Fortunee—Reckless extravagance—House rifled at Madame de Balzac's death—Fate of Balzac's MSS.—His merits as a writer. When Balzac's friends came to visit him in the Rue Fortunee, they were much shocked by the change in his appearance. His breathing was short, his speec