I won't be able to do Eugénie Grandet justice. I think it's Balzac's best novel, easily, by which I mean his most artful, the one that's perfect. Other readers may not be interested in my ideal of perfection. Balzac certainly wasn't. Henry James seems to agree with me, if I understand his speech "The Lessons of Balzac," which I certainly don't, except for that part.
Eugénie Grandet is the daughter of the richest man in a country town. Her father is a real peasant miser, so miserly that his wife and daughter don't understand how rich they actually are. Everyone else has a pretty good idea, though, so Eugénie is much in demand, although she only leaves her house to go to church.
This would seem like enough of a plot for a good novel - two families battle for an innocent girl's money, while her father squeezes them all. Good stuff. Balzac lets you think that's what the story will be for the first 30 pages or so. Then Eugénie's dandified Paris cousin suddenly crashes her twenty-third birthday party, and Eugénie's certainly never met anyone like him, and then the novel really gets going, oh yes it does. The last forty or fifty pages have some twists, or at least bends, that, for the reader who has really entered the spirit of the thing, are real shockers.
Anyway, the story in and of itself is very strong. The stage is small - the Grandet's house and garden, mostly - but the characters, the clashes, are big.
I suspect that I like this novel a bit too much to write about to effectively right now, but tomorrow I'll try, or try again.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Eugénie Grandet - my favorite Balzac novel
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm planning this one for a holiday reread - it has been nearly fifteen years since I read it the first time so I've forgotten much and my French wasn't good enough for the nuances at the time, I think, so it should be a really rewarding re-read. I look forward to what else you have to say!
ReplyDeleteI have an 18-volume set of Balzac's novels and yet haven't gotten to him. Your review has reminded me I need to do myself a favour and get on it! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteverbivore, enjoy. I think there's actually a lot in Eugénie Grandet for a contemporary writer - a lot of real craft. I try to get at some of that today.
ReplyDeleteWow, an 18 volume set. Reading the whole thing doesn't seem as crazy to me now as it once did. Not that I'm going to do that. Although see Friday's post for more on that sunject. I mean, don't see it now, see it on Friday.
1. I'm with DreamQueen: I need to read some Balzac.
ReplyDelete2. How on earth do you read this much and still hold down a day job? Wow.
3. Your headlines are always super-tempting. I especially liked "At last he grew passionately fond of the panther." I mean, how can we not come over here to see what that's all about?
First, as to the headlines, I give all credit to Balzac, et al.
ReplyDeleteSecond, as to reading so much, I'll confess that for the Big Balzac Blowout, I am eating the seed corn to some degree. Some of these I haven't read for a couple of years.
Third, I think any Victorianist would get a kick out of Balzac. For example, the way he writes about money, a bit like Trollope, but more direct, more crass. Or the un-Victorian sexual frankness. Or the stories involving the super-criminal Vautrin, ancestors of the police procedural - Wilkie Collins certainly knew them.
This was your favourite. Interesting to know what others prefer. Richard on Caravana de recuerdos mentioned that you don't like La fille aux yeux d'or either. It is the only Balzac I did not like. My favourite is Les illusions perdues, followed by La cousine Bette et peut-être Le père Goriot. I think I prefer his Parisian novels. I am planning on making a post on Balzac very soon. Hope you might come and have a look and comment. (I am French should you wonder). Maybe I will do it in a week or two.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip - I will keep an eye put for your Balzac post.
ReplyDelete