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Book Synopsis
Passionate and perceptive, the three short novels that make up Balzac''s History of the Thirteen are concerned in part with the activities of a rich, powerful, sinister and unscrupulous secret society in nineteenth-century France. While the deeds of ''The Thirteen'' remain frequently in the background, however, the individual novels are concerned with exploring various forms of desire. A tragic love story, Ferragus depicts a marriage destroyed by suspicion, revelation and misunderstanding. The Duchess de Langeais explores the anguish that results when a society coquette tries to seduce a heroic ex-soldier, while The Girl with the Golden Eyes offers a frank consideration of desire and sexuality. Together, these works provide a firm and fascinating foundation for Balzac''s many later portrayals of Parisian life in his great novel-cycle The Human Comedy.

History of the Thirteen

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    A Paperback / softback by Honoré de Balzac, Herbert Hunt

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      Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
      Publication Date: 29/08/1974
      ISBN13: 9780140443011, 978-0140443011
      ISBN10: 0140443010

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Passionate and perceptive, the three short novels that make up Balzac''s History of the Thirteen are concerned in part with the activities of a rich, powerful, sinister and unscrupulous secret society in nineteenth-century France. While the deeds of ''The Thirteen'' remain frequently in the background, however, the individual novels are concerned with exploring various forms of desire. A tragic love story, Ferragus depicts a marriage destroyed by suspicion, revelation and misunderstanding. The Duchess de Langeais explores the anguish that results when a society coquette tries to seduce a heroic ex-soldier, while The Girl with the Golden Eyes offers a frank consideration of desire and sexuality. Together, these works provide a firm and fascinating foundation for Balzac''s many later portrayals of Parisian life in his great novel-cycle The Human Comedy.

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