Father Goriot

Father Goriot is a novel written by Honore De Balzac, first published in 1835. The story takes place in Paris in the early 19th century and follows the lives of several characters, including the titular character, Father Goriot, a former wealthy merchant who now lives in poverty in a boarding house. The novel explores themes of love, greed, and social climbing as the characters navigate their way through the complex hierarchy of Parisian society.The story begins with the introduction of Eugene de Rastignac, a young law student from a noble family who is new to Paris. He is taken under the wing of his cousin, Madame de Beauseant, who introduces him to the upper echelons of society. There, he meets Father Goriot, who is living in the same boarding house as him. Despite his poverty, Father Goriot is devoted to his two daughters, who are both married to wealthy men. However, they treat him with disdain and only visit him when they need money.As the story progresses, Rastignac becomes involved with a wealthy and beautiful woman named Delphine de Nucingen, who is also one of Father Goriot’s daughters. He also becomes entangled in the schemes of Vautrin, a mysterious and manipulative criminal who is determined to climb the social ladder by any means necessary.As the characters’ lives become increasingly intertwined, the novel delves into the darker aspects of Parisian society, including corruption, betrayal, and the harsh realities of poverty. Ultimately, Father Goriot serves as a tragic figure who sacrifices everything for his ungrateful daughters, while Rastignac must decide whether to pursue his own ambitions or remain true to his moral compass.Father Goriot is considered one of Balzac’s most important works and is often cited as a masterpiece of French literature. It is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that offers a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of 19th-century Parisian society.Eugene stared at his neighbor in dumb and dazed bewilderment. He thought of Vautrin, of that duel to be fought to-morrow morning, and of this realization of his dearest hopes, and the violent contrast between the two sets of ideas gave him all the sensations of nightmare. He went to the chimney-piece, saw the little square case, opened it, and found a watch of Breguet’s make wrapped in paper, on which these words were written.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world’s literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.