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/lit/ - Literature

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20583289 No.20583289 [Reply] [Original]

Where do I start with Balzac? I want to slowly read all or most of La Comedie Humaine; should I go chronologically or is there a different way to do it? Do the books only come in a series of large volumes or are there English editions printed individually? Which translations are best etc.

>> No.20583295

>>20583289
Lost Illusions is my favorite book by this gentleman.

>> No.20583402

>>20583289
Ligma - Balzac

>> No.20583411

>>20583289
60% of it is not translated

>> No.20583451 [DELETED] 

didn't he write that short story about the monkey's paw? maybe start there i guess

>> No.20583454

>>20583289
The Gonadology

>> No.20583457 [DELETED] 

>>20583451
oh no sorry his is "the wild asses skin" but it's the same kind of story, not sure who did it first, i'm sure wikipedia will say

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Peau_de_chagrin

>> No.20583464

>>20583411
That surprises me. You'd think someone would have got round to it by now.

>> No.20583468

>>20583411
Not into English maybe

>> No.20584403

Are his novels better than the short stories? Because aside from Le chef d'oeuvre inconnu the latter are pretty mediocre and didn't really make me want read more of his.

>> No.20584424

>>20583289
This m'fer is such a great writer I wish I could find more of his books at the bookstores but there's literally nothing 'physically' that is good these days, in my areas at least.

>> No.20585054
File: 2.23 MB, 1843x2509, Lost Illusions.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
20585054

>>20583295
Recent movie adaption was good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc68AURE-O0

>> No.20585061

>>20583468
Okay? and OP clearly asked about English editions, you mouthbreather.

>> No.20586422

>>20583289
>Balzac
Who?

>> No.20586444

>>20583289
why do you decide you want to read millions of words of some author when you haven't even started with them?

>> No.20586458

>>20586444
funny name lol

>> No.20586480

>>20583289
Just read the ones that interest you. There's no need to read them in chronological order. Each book focuses on something different

>> No.20586485

>>20583289
I started with Father Goriot. I was sold on his writings after that. I'm not sure on translations, but I've been reading him on Gutenberg and they all read well, sorta like Dickens.

>> No.20586489

>>20583289
start with Pere Goirot which seems to me to be the most famous of his works, and if you don't like it and yet you still find yourself compelled to read all his works just because, then you have serious autism

>> No.20586562

>>20586489
You should to that. Père Goriot is at the center of the Comédie Humaine, lots of themes and characters are in this book. When you finish it, just think about which charcaters or themes interest you the most and find the according book.

>> No.20586621

>balzac

>> No.20587428

>>20585054
Damn, the trailer dead ass slapped HARD