Le Pere Goriot

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Nobody writes about money like Balzac, and his classic chronicle of a young man from the provinces clawing his way to success in 19th century Paris, even as an older man is victimized by the same milieu, shrewdly captures the financial dimension of so much that goes on between people. The boarding house in which the two protagonists live is a microcosm of their world, and Goriot's treatment by his daughters would make Lear blanch.

Book Description

Specially commissioned for the World's Classics, this translation includes a full editorial apparatus.

Customer Reviews:

Keeping it Real.......2006-08-19

Balzac. Maybe it's the harsh sound of his name. Like Nietzsche or Exxon, it congers up big, tough, impenetrable. Truth is, he's none of those things. Nor is he a hopeless romantic. If Pere Goriot is an example, Balzac is simply an observer. You might not like what he sees, but it is difficult to deny its accuracy. Take the central character Pere Goriot. You can say that Balzac uses him to prove that no good deed shall go unpunished. Oft referred to as Balzac's King Lear, Goriot's troubles begin when he parcels out his fortune to his social climbing daughters; like Lear's girls, Goriot's bitches dump the old man when his money runs out. Sound familiar? Indeed, there's a lot of Shakespeare in Balzac. In King Lear, we hear "The art of necessities is strange, that can make vile things precious". Those words fit perfectly Goriot's fast learning young friend Eugene. As we see Eugene evolving from adamantine idealist to player, you can also imagine him mouthing from Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale: "I am a feather for each wind that blows". So, is Balzac a cynic that sees no intrinsic good in humankind, or is saying we are merely products of our environment? Is Balzac a pessimistic Nietzsche who dismisses morality as the herd instinct in the individual? Or, is he an optimistic Helen Keller observing that tolerance is the highest result of education? You decide. But, please, please, please keep it real. For Balzac's sake, keep it real.

Do you know old Goriot from the Maison Vauquer?.......2006-08-05

I'm going to go ahead and ruin something for you, the potential reader, about Honoré de Balzac. It's nothing to do with plot or character, so you can rest assured that you're safe to get a fresh read from Père Goriot; instead it centers on the author himself. It's something you're going to pick up on as you read through this book.

You see, Honoré de Balzac is your best friend.

This sounds funny, I realize that, but it's the simple truth. You can feel it in the way that the man writes- He doesn't tell the story to you, so much as he explains it. It's like listening to one of those old men you find in a bar; you're so certain that you're going to laugh at him as he recounts his tale, you're so certain that when he tells you that it's a sad one, that you've heard that statement enough before to know it's a falsity...but then as things progress you begin to realize that you can trust him. You can feel the hand of Balzac on your back, guiding you forward. You begin to trust him...and it's all because he's talking to you as though you were an old friend.

Indeed, Père Goriot is a sad tale. Without giving away any more than the back of the book already does, I can say that it encompasses the tale of a man who has sacrificed of himself for his children's sake, as laid out in contrast to the story of a man who asks of his own family that they sacrifice for him. It is the study of both sides of that equation, all tied together through a boardinghouse where every boarder has a story to tell, where every turn and twist is an obstacle for some, an opportunity for others, and an escape for none. All are tied into this Paris that lives and breathes on the page.

Balzac was a character writer. He tells you about the person, all the intimate little details that seem so trivial but that build up the image of the person in your mind. You can see Vautrin, the mysterious all-knowing boarder as he watches young Rastignac, the young law student, struggle inside of himself as he wrestles his way into an unforgiving society. In the process of doing so, you watch sometimes in horror, sometimes in fascination, listening to the man deliver speech upon speech, some of which seem to bear an eerie early foreboding to Dostoevsky's `The Grand Inquisitor' for it's sheer, unflinching look at some point of society. Like that writer, Balzac builds the man, then lets him be himself on the page, summoning only those talents that are necessary in a writer to get out of the way and allow the story to tell itself.

Is this book worth reading? Absolutely. Who should read it? Anyone who enjoys a tale with action, honor, and ethical, internal struggles. There are criminal men, unscrupulous women, love affairs, dedication, a betrayal...there are all the elements of the modern novel, told in an engaging and playful style that you come to trust and respect and that, in the end, leaves you with a mighty hunger for more...

Henry Reed does a great translation as well. His afterword helps to place the novel in the series that it belongs, putting into proper perspective in Balzac's La Comedie humaine, a series of novels and stories built around Paris during a certain time period. Balzac was a very dedicated writer, putting himself to the task sometimes for hours on end (up to 18 by some accounts). His works contain in them many characters that repeat into other works, as in the two that I mentioned above (Rastignac in particular).

Bottom line: I cannot highly enough recommend this book to anyone. It is fantastic and easily enjoyable.

-LP

Inspiring.......2006-04-29

My French was in its infantile stages when I read this book, but opening a dictionary once, twice, or many times per page was a small price to pay for the stimulation I got from reading this book. The pure artistry of the writing not only inspired me to keep reading, but to have French as a double major. When you read this book, you are there.

real good book.......2005-08-03

When Balzac ins't wooing me with his beautiful descriptions, his dialogue reads like a play. Some scenes are genuinely funny, and the characters are memorable. The ending is too drawn out, but very much worth the read. Short and sweet. I loved it. Quote it in your English class to earn kudos from the professor. They love Balzac.

So Much Fun!.......2005-05-06

Poor, poor Pere Goriot! This story is the tragic tale of a pathetic, old, doting father and his martyrdom. Goriot spoils his awful, frivilous, vain, and ungrateful daughters throughout this book while they ignore and manipulate him. The daughters are so terrible you can't help laughing a little at Goriot's pitiful way of fawning over them and putting them above even his most basic needs.

They demand all the best in life while allowing their father to live in poverty and need. They ask him for luxuries when he barely has enough to survive on. His concept of paternal duty is nothing less than inspirational, and even though he is pitiful, we can't help loving him and admiring him despite his irritating messanic complex.

Balzac is just such a fun, rich, witty writer and his characters are so engrossing. He's so adept at pointing out the self-absorption and frivolity of so many figures from his time, and making you feel bad for their victims. I think any modern reader would enjoy him as much as they would-really more-than most contemporary writers. I think there should be a revival of the popularity of books like these because they're just so much more intriguing than so many present day stories.

Profil d'une oeuvre : Le père Goriot, Balzac : analyse critique

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Profil d'une oeuvre : Le père Goriot, Balzac : analyse critique
Balzac/ Riegert
Manufacturer: Hatier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

All French Books | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 2218737701

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LE PERE GORIOT

Manufacturer: Flammarion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H0D25I

Le Père Goriot. Illusions perdues. Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes

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Le Père Goriot. Illusions perdues. Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes
Honoré de Balzac
Manufacturer: Gallimard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 207040952X

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003576: Pere Goriot: Le Pere Goriot
BALZAC
Manufacturer: Accent Educational Publishers Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1856930424

Bac Francais 1re Un Roman d'apprentissage du Xixe Siecle: Le Pere Goriot

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Bac Francais 1re Un Roman d'apprentissage du Xixe Siecle: Le Pere Goriot
Robert Baniol
Manufacturer: Fernand nathan editeur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

French | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: B000P1CG6K

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Balzac
Le Pere Goriot
Manufacturer: Le Livre De Poche
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000M1MLB8

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Balzac: Le Pere Goriot
P W Lock
Manufacturer: MACMILLAN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TTQ7PE

Honore de Balzac: Pere Goriot (Barnes & Noble book notes, 875)

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Honore de Balzac: Pere Goriot (Barnes & Noble book notes, 875)
Richard J Cohen
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 0389008826

Book Description

J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT is an epic tale of magical adventure that has captivated children and adults for more than sixty years. Its success comes from its combination of flawless storytelling and enchanting writing, including these twelve delightful poems. This miniature book, illustrated with thirty of Tolkien's own paintings and drawings, contains all the poems, plus Gollum's eight famous riddles, and will be a perfect keepsake for lovers of THE HOBBIT and Tolkien's Middle-earth.

Customer Reviews:

Over the misty mountain cold.......2007-02-13

J.R.R. Tolkien's classic books are sprinkled with poems, ranging from enchanting to whimsical, from everybody from hobbits to elves. And "Poems From the Hobbit" compiles the twelve poems from the novel in a teeny-weeny little book illustrated by Tolkien himself.

The poems in here are, obviously, all from "The Hobbit," usually in the form of songs. Some of these are fun and cheerful, like the mocking song that the dwarves sing ("Chip the glasses and crack the plates!/Blunt the knives and bend the forks!/That's what Bilbo Baggins hates") or the nonsensical little ditty the Rivendell elves sing ("O! What are you doing,/And where are you going?/Your ponies need shoeing!/The river is flowing!/O! tra-la-la-lally/here down in the valley!").

Some of these poems are more fragmented and bizarre than real songs -- the goblins' triumphant song ("Clap! Snap! the black crack!/Grip, grab! Pinch, nab!") and Bilbo's spider-killing song are two examples, where it seems more like an opportunity for the characters to shout out taunts in rhyme.

But the best poetry here -- and the ones that show Tolkien at his best -- are the entrancing ones that sound like ancient, starlit epics: "The mountain smoked beneath the moon;/The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom/They fled their hall to dying fall/Beneath his feet, beneath the moon/Far over the misty mountains grim/To dungeons deep and caverns dim."

Academics like to sniff at Tolkien's poetry, though I doubt they could manage the range or vividity that his writing has. His poetry speaks for itself, as does his ability to do everything from storytelling epics to riddles to funny little songs about nothing in particular. THAT takes quite a lot of talent.

Tolkien's writing style is absolutely exquisite and memorable ("On silver necklaces they strung/The flowering stars, on crowns they hung/The dragon-fire, in twisted wire/They meshed the light of moon and sun"), full of shimmering imagery and ye-olde flavour... or funny stuff about smushing food into Bilbo's floor and breaking his dishes.

They even include the riddles from Gollum and Bilbo's little game, ranging from old ones that everyone knows to gruesome little ditties ("Voiceless it cries,/Wingless flutters,/Toothless bites,/Mouthless mutters."). And the illustrations are very pretty and appropriate -- delicate, colourful, and all around pleasant to look on.

"Poems From the Hobbit" has nothing new for people who already have "The Hobbit," but it's a charming little pocket collection of Tolkienian poetry.

A charming addition to your Tolkien collection........2004-06-15

This pint-sized, delightful book, richly and colorfully illustrated with thirty of Tolkien's own drawings, contains all twelve poems from the Hobbit as they were originally published. As a bonus, it also includes the eight riddles Gollum poses to Bilbo, complete with their answers.
This wonderful volume is sure to be enjoyable to readers of all ages, and a wonderful keepsake that Tolkien followers can afford to carry around with them wherever they go. You shouldn't miss it.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

Not what I expected..........2004-02-19

Mister Tolkien is one of my favorite authors, and I love all of his works. I enjoyed this book because it contains all of the poems and some original artwork of Tolkien's, but I was slightly disappointed by the size. I was surprised at just how 'pocket size' it really was - almost a miniature book, you could say. It is a cute and witty addition to any Tolkien collection, but, like I said, not what I expected.

Tolkien is The Master Story-Teller....he created the genre.......2000-10-01

The writings of Professor Tolkien are absolutely Timeless. These books are the gauge by-which all Fantasy books are measured. The Hobbit and The Trilogy have been the Inspiration for decades of works by other authors, yet I have not ever seen these works surpassed by anyone. Terry Brooks is the only author I have read who even compares to J.R.R. Tolkien and his epic style. I became fascinated with The Hobbit and Trilogy when I was in the seventh grade. I borrowed them from a friend and snuck them home. I was completely enthralled with the world Tolkien created. I was not allowed to read anything that was even remotely related to Wizards, Witches, Astrology, D&D, etc., so these books were like nothing I had ever seen, before. I was captivated and felt the call to become a Writer. Previously, the poetry and such that we were studying in school BORED me to tears. I found my schooling to be mind-numbingly BORING and Tolkien became my Inspiration to Learn, create Poetry, Write stories, Study, become an Anthropologist, delve into Masonic Lore and so much more.... Throughout High-School, I had pictures of Prof. Tolkien on my wall and I desired to be like him. Not-only was he the Greatest Fantasy Writer the world has known, but he was "Professor of Anglo-Saxon, at Oxford University, from 1925 to 1945....and professor of English Language and Literature....and a Fellow of Merton College from '45 to his retirement in '59." Check out his translations of (book title:)"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo" (J.R.R. Tolkien) Also, Prof. Tolkien wrote wonderful stories like "Smith of Wooten Major (&) Farmer Giles of Ham" for children. Pop those titles into the search box! I can honestly say that reading Tolkien changed my life...for the Better! Tolkien created the highest standards of writing for generations of authors....I am quite sure he would be deeply disappointed with the majority of books published today, with numerous spelling errors and pathetic grammar. I believe Tolkien is a god-send to English teachers. Perhaps, he can still inspire young people to elevate their Writing and English skills, from beyond. I would fight to keep his works on the shelves. I was not allowed to do my Senior Thesis about this author, despite the fact that he is such an amazing author and advocate of Literature. I lost interest in doing my thesis and threw something together at the last minute. Perhaps teachers should Recognize the potential for inspiring youth, via the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Small book, large fun.......2000-04-11

This is a very good little book. The poems are fun and interesting to read. The riddle section is especially fun. buy it. Read it.

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Poems from the Hobbit Prepack
J. R. R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0618013652

Backblast
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Backblast
Lee McKeone
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Title: Particulate emissions from U.S. Department of Defense artillery backblast testing.(TECHNICAL PAPER)
Author: John A. Gillies
Publication: Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (Magazine/Journal)
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Author: Daniel A. Dombrowski
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