Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac: A Life of Vision and Imagination
Full Name and Common Aliases
Honoré de Balzac was born on May 20, 1799, in Tours, France. He is commonly known as Honoré de Balzac.
Birth and Death Dates
May 20, 1799 – August 18, 1850
Nationality and Profession(s)
French novelist, playwright, and entrepreneur. Balzac was a prolific writer who dominated the literary scene of 19th-century France.
Early Life and Background
Balzac was born into a family of lawyers and judges. His father, Bernard-François Balzac, was a lawyer and a notary, while his mother, Anne-Charlotte-Laure Sallambier, came from a wealthy family. Honoré de Balzac was the oldest of six children, but he had a difficult childhood due to his parents' strained relationship and financial struggles.
Despite these challenges, Balzac showed a keen interest in reading and writing from an early age. He spent much of his youth devouring books on law, philosophy, and literature, which instilled in him a sense of purpose and ambition. After completing his studies at the Lycée Imperial de Tours, Balzac moved to Paris in 1814 to pursue a career in law.
Major Accomplishments
Balzac's early attempts at writing were met with rejection and ridicule by critics and publishers. Undeterred, he continued to write, producing over 90 novels and plays during his lifetime. His works often explored the lives of French society, politics, and culture during the Bourbon Restoration (1815-1830) and the July Monarchy (1830-1848).
Some of Balzac's most notable works include:
La Comédie Humaine, a series of novels that aimed to create a comprehensive portrait of 19th-century French society.
Père Goriot (1835), a novel that explores the themes of family, love, and social class.
Balzac was also an entrepreneur who established a publishing company, La Comédie Humaine, which allowed him to control the production and distribution of his works. This innovative approach enabled him to reach a wider audience and maintain artistic control over his creations.
Notable Works or Actions
Balzac's most notable works include:
La Peau de chagrin (1831), a novel that explores the themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
Les Parents pauvres (1848-1856), a series of novels that examines the lives of French aristocracy during the Bourbon Restoration.
Impact and Legacy
Balzac's impact on literature and society cannot be overstated. His works not only reflected but also shaped the cultural and social norms of his time. He is remembered as one of the greatest writers of 19th-century France, alongside Victor Hugo and Gustave Flaubert.
Balzac's innovative approach to publishing and his commitment to artistic control paved the way for future generations of authors and publishers. His legacy extends beyond literature, influencing art, film, and even music. Many of his works have been adapted into films, plays, and operas, cementing his place in the pantheon of French cultural icons.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Balzac's quotes are often cited for their insight into human nature, society, and politics. His observations on love, family, and social class remain relevant today, making him one of the most quoted authors in history. Some of his most famous quotes include:
"We have all known the long loneliness and the hostility of this world, the deadly dullness and emptiness of it."
"The most dreadful thing is to be young and look old."
Balzac's quotes are not only thought-provoking but also offer a glimpse into his unique perspective on life. His writings continue to inspire readers and writers alike, making him an enduring figure in French literature.
Quotes by Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac's insights on:
A wife is property that one acquires by contract, she is transferable, because possession of her requires title; in fact, woman is, so to speak, only man’s appendage; consequently, slice, cut, clip her, you have all rights to her.
To have one’s mother-in-law in the country when one lives in Paris, and vice versa, is one of those strokes of luck that one encounters only too rarely.
A woman questions the man who loves exactly as a judge questions a criminal. This being so, a flash of the eye, a mere word, an inflection of the voice or a moment’s hesitation suffice to expose the fact, betrayal or crime he is attempting to conceal.
Death is as unexpected in his caprice as a courtesan in her disdain; but death is truer – Death has never forsaken any man.
A girl’s coquetry is of the simplest, she thinks that all is said when the veil is laid aside; a woman’s coquetry is endless, she shrouds herself in veil after veil, she satisfies every demand of man’s vanity, the novice responds but to one.
A husband who submits to his wife’s yoke is justly held an object of ridicule. A woman’s influence ought to be entirely concealed.
A woman’s sentimental monkeyshines will always deceive her lover, who invariably waxes ecstatic where her husband necessarily shrugs his shoulders.
It is as absurd to say that a man can’t love one woman all the time as it is to say that a violinist needs several violins to play the same piece of music.