Balzac (Student Guides)

The purpose of this series is to promote the study of writing in the English language through the introduction of the major figures writing in English throughout the ages. They provide an analytical and historical framework for understanding their subjects. This title gives a comprehensive study of Balzac's "La Comedie Humaine". Selecting the most significant individual novels, Mercer analyses them in the context of Balzac's astonishing life and with reference to the overall scheme of the opus. A variety of critical responses to Balzac's work are explored, but Mercer's clear appraisal of the value and meaning of his work contains some significant new readings. She shows how ill-served he has been in English-speaking countries.