Honore de Balzac at the threshold of maturity
Parents hoped that after graduation Honore would be engaged in legal practice and very soon consolidate the welfare of the family. But the conceited youth dreamed of something else: he decided to become a famous and rich writer. But the question is: can I make a fortune and get rich by doing literature? Considering that Honore had sharp observation, extraordinary memory and a developed imagination, it was decided on the family council: “As soon as the boy claims that he has a talent, let him prove it in practice.” He should be given the opportunity to try his hand and put two of the year”. To realize the dream of his son Francois de Balzac allotted fifteen hundred francs a year. However, the term of two years was disastrously small in order to become famous and get rich.
Honore develops an ebullient activity. He tries his hand at various literary genres and… suffers one setback after another. The first attempt at the literary arena, created by him in the
Meanwhile, the financial situation of the young man deteriorated every day, despite all his efforts and energy. It was a serious life test. To the honor of the future writer, neither hunger, nor cold, nor constant need could break the youth. Seeking to correct his fairly shaky financial position, he, along with literary creativity, tries to do business. Having taken a substantial amount, Balzac first begins to publish one-volume works of French classics, then he buys a printing house and starts printing various types of directories and catalogs of trading firms, but does not stand competition and is finally ruined.
Despite all the setbacks, Honore continues to work in the literary field, and the more untenable is his financial situation, the more he works harder.
The work was the content of Balzac’s life. But at the same time he managed to meet with friends, among whom were writers V. Hugo, George Sand, G. Heine, T. Gautier, romantic artist E. Delacroix, pianist and composer F. List. Russian poet and literary critic, professor of Moscow University S. P. Shevyrev, one of Pushkin’s friends, who met Balzac in Paris, wrote about him: “In all movements, his extraordinary quickness and vivacity, speech ringing and speedy, laughter simple, cordial, sincere. “With all his external appearance, especially the last feature of bright laughter, with a fleeting conversation and naive ease, he reminded me a lot of our Pushkin.”
The Titanic work of Honore de Balzac was finally crowned with great literary success. In the spring of 1829 the historical novel of the writer “Shuans, or Brittany in 1799” was published and published. The novel was favorably received by critics. Inspired by success, Balzac wrote and published in 1830 the novel “Gobsek” and “Elixir of longevity.” In 1831 – the philosophical novel “Shagreen’s skin”, which brings the writer European fame and glory. The novel “Evgenia Grande” finally strengthened the glory of the French writer-realist in the person of the European reader.
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