Biographie d'Honoré de Balzac

Summary

Honoré de Balzac, born in 1799, was a prominent French novelist and playwright. He is best known for his series 'La Comédie Humaine,' which includes over 90 novels and stories portraying French society. Balzac's works, such as 'Le Père Goriot' and 'Eugénie Grandet,' are celebrated for their realism and character development. Despite facing numerous failures and financial struggles, Balzac's dedication to literature led to his success and significant influence on 19th-century literature. He married his long-time admirer, Madame Hanska, in 1850, but his health declined, and he passed away the same year.

Takeaways

• 📚 Honoré de Balzac was born in Tours on May 20, 1799, and came from a family that experienced social ascension, changing their name to de Balzac.
• 🏡 Balzac was the eldest of four children and experienced a lack of maternal love, which influenced his early life.
• 🎓 He attended the college of Oratorians in Vendôme and developed a passion for reading, which led to health issues due to excessive study.
• 📘 In 1814, Balzac's family moved to Paris, and he began studying law and working in a notary's office, experiences that later inspired his writing.
• 📜 Balzac abandoned his law studies in 1819 to pursue a career in writing, facing initial failures in his attempts at playwriting.
• 💔 In 1822, Balzac became the lover of Madame de Berny, who provided him financial support during a period of his life.
• 📈 His writing career took off in the late 1820s, with novels like 'Le dernier chouan' and 'Physiologie du mariage', and he started signing his work as 'de Balzac' from 1830.
• 💌 Balzac began a long-term relationship with Madame Hanska in 1834, which was both romantic and financially beneficial to him.
• 📚 He created 'La Comédie Humaine', a collection of over 90 works that aimed to depict the 'natural history of society', featuring 2472 characters.
• 🏆 Balzac's major works, such as 'La Peau de chagrin', 'Eugénie Grandet', and 'Le Père Goriot', established him as a master of realism and are considered avant-garde for their time.
• 💍 Balzac married his long-time love, Madame Hanska, in 1850, but his health was in decline, and he passed away on August 18, 1850.

Q & A

When and where was Honoré de Balzac born?

Honoré de Balzac was born on May 20, 1799, in Tours.

What was Balzac's family background like?

Balzac's father, Bernard François Balssa, came from a rural background, while his mother, Anne Charlotte Laure Sallambier, was from a bourgeois family. The family experienced social ascension and changed their name to Balzac before the revolution.

How did Balzac's childhood experiences affect him?

Balzac was placed in the care of a wet nurse until 1803 and was rejected by his mother, which led to a lack of maternal love. This may have influenced his later works.

Where did Balzac study and what was his experience like?

Balzac studied at the Collège des Oratoriens in Vendôme for six years, where he developed a passion for reading, which was so intense that it concerned his teachers and led to illness.

What career did Balzac initially pursue before becoming a writer?

Balzac initially pursued a career in law, studying from 1816 and working as a clerk in a notary's office, which later inspired his novel 'Le Colonel Chabert'.

When did Balzac decide to fully commit to writing, and what were his early literary endeavors?

In 1819, Balzac abandoned his law studies to focus on writing. He attempted to write tragedies like 'Scylla et Cromwell', which were not successful.

Who was Madame de Bernie, and how did she influence Balzac's life?

Madame de Bernie was Balzac's lover from 1822, who provided him with financial support during his early struggles as a writer.

What was Balzac's first published novel under his own name?

Balzac's first novel published under his own name was 'Le dernier chouan' in 1829.

What is the significance of 'La Comédie Humaine' in Balzac's literary career?

La Comédie Humaine is a collection of over 90 novels, stories, essays, and new stories that aim to depict the 'natural history of society' and is considered a major and visionary work in French literature.

Who was Madame Hanska, and what was her relationship with Balzac?

Madame Hanska was a Polish noblewoman who became Balzac's admirer, financial supporter, and later his wife. They maintained a correspondence that was later published as 'Lettres à l'étrangère'.

What were the major themes in Balzac's works, and how did they reflect the society of his time?

The major themes in Balzac's works included love, money, justice, war, religion, the passage of time, and philosophy, which collectively reflected the societal issues and concerns of the 19th century.

How did Balzac's health decline, and when did he pass away?

Balzac suffered from bronchitis and experienced suffocation episodes, eventually developing peritonitis and gangrene. He died on August 18, 1850.