Modeste Mignon Classic Reprint

Author : Honoré de Balzac
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781331355489
Total Pages : 490 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (554 download)

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Download or read book Honoré De Balzac, Vol. 4 written by Honoré de Balzac and published by . This book was released on 2015-07-14 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Honore De Balzac, Vol. 4: Introduction by George Saintsbury With Eugenie Grandet, as with one or two, but only one or two others of Balzac's works, we come to a case of Quis vituperavit? Here, and perhaps here only, with Le Medecin de Campagne and Le Pere Goriot, though there may be carpers and depreciators, there are no open deniers of the merit of the work. The pathos of Eugenie, the mastery of Grandet, the success of the minor characters, especially Nanon, are universally recognized. The importance of the work has sometimes been slightly questioned even by those who admit its beauty: but this questioning can only support itself on the unavowed but frequently present conviction or suspicion that a "good" or "goody" book must be a weak one. As a matter of fact, no book can be, or can be asked to be, better than perfect on its own scheme, and with its own conditions. And on its own scheme and with its own conditions Eugenie Grandet is very nearly perfect. On the character of the heroine will turn the final decision whether, as has been said by some (I believe I might be charged with having said it myself), Balzac's virtuous characters are always more theatrical than real. The decision must take in the Benassis of Le Medecin de Campagne, but with him it will have less difficulty; for Benassis, despite the beauty and pathos of his confession, is a little "a person of the boards" in his unfailing providential character and his complete devotion to others. Must Eugenie, his feminine companion in goodness, be put on these boards likewise? I admit that of late years, and more particularly since the undertaking of this present task made necessary to me a more complete and methodical study of the whole works, including the most miscellaneous miscellanies, than I had previously given, my estimate of Balzac's goodness has gone up very much - that of his greatness had no need of raising. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."