Honore de Balzac: works and life of the great writer

Honore de Balzac is a great writer of French origin, whose "Human Comedy", which contained about a hundred novels (97 volumes), became a kind of reflection of the era. "Mighty and tireless toiler" - that's what the famous writer called his close friend and colleague Victor Hugo.

The life and works of Honore de Balzac

Despite the prefix "de", peculiar to aristocrats, Honoré de Balzac did not come from the family of noblemen. According to some reports, his father was a native of the peasant class, and his mother was from the bourgeois family. From the age of four the future writer was brought up outside the house: first Balzac studied at the clerical school, then his stay fell into the boarding schools, of which Honor had the most negative memories. After completing his education (bachelor's degree), the young man entered a notary office, where he served for almost three years. However, when his father invited him to open his own practice, Honore declined, determined to devote himself to literature (by that time he had already written several novels). Settled in a poor Parisian quarter, the writer eagerly got down to business. The novel, which in the near future will make Honore widely known, came out from under his pen with fantastic speed. But the critics were ruthless - they did not recognize his works.

Then, for an unknown writer, the time of lack of money has come, and Honoré de Balzac (whose works at that time did not represent any interest to publishers) decided to organize several financial projects not connected with literary creation. But all attempts to get rich turned to him only as ordinary debts.

Honore de Balzac: works that changed his whole life

In 1829, Balzac returned to the writing profession. He set himself a truly "army" regime: he slept in the evenings, and woke up around midnight, again took up his pen, supporting his strength with the help of numerous cups of strong black coffee. Balzac worked with incredible speed - for a day he could write down several goose feathers.

After the publication of the book "Shuans" finally received the well-deserved attention Honore de Balzac, his works began to be published. The hard labor was rewarded, and after the novel "Shagreen's skin" was published, the young writer began to be called a fashionable writer. Inspired by success, he decided to create the epic "Human Comedy". But this plan was not destined to be realized in life completely - Balzac managed to write only about a hundred books. Before the eyes of the reader the whole life of the heroes appeared: their birth, maturation, love, marriage and children. The publication of the novel from the series "Human Comedy" brought the writer so much desired for him the glory of an unsurpassed novelist.

The Great Honore de Balzac: works (a list of earlier works)

After the publication of the following works, the writer finally shapes his life and creative position:

• The novel "Shuany", followed by collections of scenes from private life (1830);
• Novel "Gobsek";
• "The house of a cat playing ball";
• "Shagreen skin" (the work brought tremendous success to the writer).

Despite constant criticism, Balzac continues to work. After a while, he has an idea to combine all existing and future books into an epic. So began to emerge "Human Comedy." According to the idea of the world-famous author (everybody had his name on Honore de Balzac), the works that will be included in the epic must describe the whole society, all its estates and ages, that is, create a picture of the morals of his time. Some novels, included in the epic "Human Comedy":

• "Lost illusions";
• "The Elixir of Longevity";
• "Spinster";
• "Physiology of marriage", etc.

Before his death, exhausted by terrible pains, Balzac asked to bring to him the doctor Bianchon, the hero of one of his books. Thus, at the end of his life, the writer completely immersed himself in the world he invented himself.