Père Goriot by Honoré de Balzac

Political turbulence characterized nineteenth-century France, and hence historical and political change play a key role in the bulk of great literary works produced in France during this period. Honoré de Balzac was a well-known writer at the time and is regarded as one of the forefathers of literary realism. His writings have been lauded over and again for their depiction of society following the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815.

Père Goriot is largely regarded as Balzac's most important novel, and it weaves together three unrelated stories. This features Eugene de Rastignac, a young guy just starting out in life and learning how to navigate Parisian society. Vautrin, a forty-year-old felon, comes next. Finally, there's Père Goriot, an elderly man dying in poverty, unloved and unaided by his two daughters, to whom he has given everything.

Make no mistake, this is a sad story. Balzac offers a grim portrait of French society, and Old Goriot's situation is as bad as it gets. However, the thorough social critique, depictions of living in France, and French history make it well worth reading.

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