Review by rayllompart on 22nd Jan 2013

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"Balzac's book is fascinating, with meticulous detail of every possible area of interest, which curiously enough does not always appear necessary to the plot. His digressions are magnificent, and at th..." [read more]

"Balzac's book is fascinating, with meticulous detail of every possible area of interest, which curiously enough does not always appear necessary to the plot. His digressions are magnificent, and at the same time, baffling. Finally catching up with Balzac at the advanced age of fifty (!) I was certainly taken by the two main characters, but left unsatisfied by the way Balzac manages the "ending"---or NON-ending, since the story proceeds in a follow-up book which I have not yet become curious enough to buy (as I peruse my Folio copy, I see that the book was published in THREE parts over the course of SIX years). As for the Folio edition, I consider it overpriced, but it is elegantly designed, with beautiful silk paper and the illustrations are evocative and strong. " [hide full review]

Review by beechcottage on 20th Jul 2012

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"This is a remarkable cornerstone of 19th-century literature. The story is a fast-paced narrative and is in every sense a 'page turner'. But more than this, it's a fascinating study in the socio-politi..." [read more]

"This is a remarkable cornerstone of 19th-century literature. The story is a fast-paced narrative and is in every sense a 'page turner'. But more than this, it's a fascinating study in the socio-political attitudes of French society post restoration. Balzac explores with profound empathy the trials and tribulations of getting on in the world in which he lived (set though it is a couple of decades previous), while at the same time manipulating his dark and Machiavellian humour to poke fun at the more ridiculous facets of French bourgeois society. The style of the work, in its narrative and its apparent motivation, has much more in common with the epic 19th-century Russian literature (which reached its zenith with Leo Tolstoy) than with the French Romance or the English Novel. Indeed, while this reviewer knows little of the personal histories of either author, I should be very surprised if Tolstoy was not intimately familiar with Balzac's 'Comédie humaine'. I cannot recommend highly enough. This is a fine edition of laudable quality, which hasn't succumbed at all to the physical trials of being a holiday read. The illustrations, too, are perfectly in keeping with the tone of the book." [hide full review]