1837French Realism
Lost Illusions
Honoré de Balzac · 1799–1850 · France
Originally Illusions perdues (French)
Why it matters
A provincial poet comes to Paris and is ground through journalism's mill: the great novel of literary ambition and its corruptions. Every disillusioned writer's book about writing descends from it.
At a glance
family sagapsychological novel
Difficulty 5/10medium pace688 pagesExtensive digressions on publishing and provincial society slow an otherwise clear plot.
Deep dive
A provincial poet goes to Paris to become a great man of letters and instead learns, in exhaustive detail, exactly what the literary and political marketplace actually costs.
Where to go next
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Honoré de Balzac · 1842The Black SheepLvl 5Medium pace
Honoré de Balzac · 1846Cousin BetteLvl 5Medium pace