The Illustrious Gaudissart

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:

"The Illustrious Gaudissart" by Honoré de Balzac is a satirical novella written during the early 19th century, specifically reflecting the period of the Restoration in France. This work, categorized as a comic social commentary, focuses on the character of Gaudissart, a commercial traveler, who represents the blend of mundane commercial activities with the lively and chaotic world of provincial French society. The story critiques the gaps between Parisian sophistication and provincial simplicity, illustrating the humorous misadventures of its protagonist. In the novella, Felix Gaudissart, the titular "illustrious" traveler, boasts of his persuasive skills as he navigates through various provinces, attempting to sell insurance and subscriptions to a newspaper while engaging with the local populace. His encounters highlight a series of comedic misunderstandings and social faux pas, primarily when he unwittingly becomes entangled with a local madman, Margaritis, whom he believes to be a wealthy benefactor. The story culminates in a duel, initially intended as a matter of honor, which ultimately resolves in an unexpected camaraderie over personality clashes and misjudgments. Through humor, Balzac critiques social norms, ambitions, and the ridiculousness inherent in human interactions across class divides. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by John Bickers, and Dagny, and David Widger

Notes:

Reading ease score: 68.9 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27illustre_Gaudissart

Release date is 1998-09-01