Honore de Balzac, The Search for Quotes

A collection of quotes by Honore de Balzac, The Search for.

Honore de Balzac, born on May 20, 1799, in Tours, France, was a renowned French novelist and playwright. He is considered one of the pioneers of literary realism and is best known for his masterpiece, "La Comedie Humaine," a series of interconnected novels and stories that depict various aspects of French society during the early 19th century.

Balzac's early years were marked by struggles and failures. He experimented with various business ventures, including publishing and printing, but faced financial difficulties. However, his experiences during this time provided him with valuable insights into social dynamics, which he later incorporated into his works.

In 1829, Balzac published his first successful novel, "Les Chouans," which established his reputation as a writer. Throughout his career, he wrote prolifically, creating over 90 novels, novellas, and short stories that explored various themes such as love, greed, and ambition. Balzac's writing style was characterized by detailed descriptions and complex portrayals of his characters, offering a comprehensive portrayal of French society.

Despite his literary achievements, Balzac struggled with personal and financial problems throughout his life. He had a reputation for being a workaholic and lived in near-constant debt, often resorting to excessive amounts of coffee to fuel his writing. Balzac's commitment to his craft and his dedication to depicting society in a realistic manner continue to influence and inspire writers to this day.

Honore de Balzac passed away on August 18, 1850, leaving behind a vast literary legacy and solidifying his place as one of the most influential figures in French literature.

The events of human life, whether public or private, are so

The events of human life, whether public or private, are so intimately linked to architecture that most observers can reconstruct nations or individuals in all the truth of their habits from the remains of their public monuments or from their domestic relics. Archaeology is to social nature what comparative anatomy is to organized nature. A mosaic reveals an entire society, just as a skeleton of an ichthyosaur suggests an entire creation. Everything is deducible, everything is linked. The cause allows one to guess the effect, just as each effect allows one to reconstruct a cause. The scientist can resuscitate in this manner even the warts of ancient times. From this comes without doubt the prodigious interest that an architectural description can inspire when the writer's fantasy is faithful to its basic elements. Cannot each person reattach it to its past by rigorous deductions? And as for man, does not the past singularly resemble the future? Tell him what was and is this not almost always the same thing as telling him what will be?

Honore de Balzac, The Search for

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