Eugenie Grandet

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Balzac, Honoré de, 1799-1850

Contributor:

Wormeley, Katharine Prescott, 1830-1908

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Eugenie Grandet" by Honoré de Balzac is a novel written during the early 19th century, which explores themes of wealth, avarice, and familial duty in a provincial French town. The story centers around the character of Monsieur Grandet, a wealthy and miserly wine-grower, and his only daughter, Eugenie, whose life is shaped by her father's overwhelming greed and ambitions. At the start of the novel, Balzac paints a vivid picture of the somber and stagnant life in Saumur, contrasting its bleak provinciality with the richness of its history. Monsieur Grandet's character is introduced as a former cooper who has amassed a considerable fortune through cunning agricultural investments. His life is marked by a strict regime and a profound disdain for extravagance, which extends to the treatment of his wife and daughter. The opening chapters set the stage for a narrative steeped in social dynamics and ambitions, as different local families vie for Eugenie's hand in marriage, each motivated by her father's wealth. This initial glimpse into Grandet's household introduces a mix of familial tension and societal expectations, hinting that the arrival of Eugenie's cousin Charles will further complicate their lives and relationships. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by John Bickers, and Dagny, and David Widger

Notes:

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A9nie_Grandet

Reading ease score: 78.0 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2004-09-18