Balzac Collection - Volume 4: A New Translation

The Balzac Collection - Volume 4 brings together three of Honoré de Balzac's most profound and emotionally charged narratives from La Comédie humaine. These stories explore the enduring struggles of love, regret, secrecy, and personal redemption, set against the backdrop of 19th-century French society. In this volume, Balzac's insight into human vulnerability and the quiet tragedies of everyday life is on full display.

In The Woman of Thirty (La Femme de trente ans), Balzac portrays the emotional awakening and later disillusionment of Julie d'Aiglemont, a woman whose early romantic dreams give way to a life of quiet suffering under the constraints of marriage, duty, and social expectation. The novel unfolds across decades, capturing the slow erosion of hope and the rare moments of fleeting happiness that define a woman's existence in a society where passion and conformity often collide.

The Great Bretèche (La Grande Bretèche) offers a chilling tale of hidden guilt and tragedy. Through layers of mystery and storytelling, Balzac reconstructs the fate of Madame de Merret, whose rigid adherence to societal honor leads to horrifying consequences within the walls of a long-abandoned manor house. In Honorine, Balzac tells the poignant story of a woman who retreats from her privileged life to seek independence and dignity, and of the man who, despite societal norms, devotes himself to her quietly and faithfully. It is a meditation on love, pride, and the difficult path toward personal freedom.

Together, these three works form a tapestry of lost illusions, unspoken desires, and the delicate balance between passion and restraint. The Balzac Collection - Volume 4 invites readers into the private sorrows and small triumphs of individuals fighting against the currents of their time, reaffirming Balzac's timeless relevance and his unparalleled gift for capturing the full depth of the human heart.