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benrogerswpg's review against another edition
3.0
"Comedy"
This book is a collection of classic stories that offer a glimpse into the life and culture of 19th-century France.
The book is known for its realistic portrayal of the social and political issues of the time, as well as for its literary significance.
Balzac's writing style is rich and detailed, which makes for an engaging read.
While the stories may not be action-packed, they do offer insight into the human condition and the struggles that people faced during that era.
Overall, this is a significant work of literature that is worth reading for its cultural and historical value.
3.5/5
This book is a collection of classic stories that offer a glimpse into the life and culture of 19th-century France.
The book is known for its realistic portrayal of the social and political issues of the time, as well as for its literary significance.
Balzac's writing style is rich and detailed, which makes for an engaging read.
While the stories may not be action-packed, they do offer insight into the human condition and the struggles that people faced during that era.
Overall, this is a significant work of literature that is worth reading for its cultural and historical value.
3.5/5
frannieman's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
corallin28's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
papah's review against another edition
Je voulais juste lire la nouvelle « le chef-d’œuvre inconnu ».
Qui est très bien.
Qui est très bien.
camille's review against another edition
Honestly I just ran out of time with my library hold :// Enjoyed most of the stories! Just had the last and longest left
litdreamer's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A great collection of stories that highlight Balzac's brilliance and sometimes his banality. Great as an entry point into Balzac, as well as for advanced readers who are familiar with these characters from other stories.
melias6's review against another edition
Only read 5 of the 9 selected stories that comprise this collection of Balzac’s The Human Comedy, a work that totals 137 finished and unfinished stories, novels, and essays in its completed form. Though the editor makes the case that Balzac’s shorter works highlight his strengths and influence better than his novels, I was half-heatedly pushing my way through stories that emphasized French politics and society without the benefit of roomy plot and character development. Maybe I should’ve attempted one of his tomes; for now, I’ll take France’s other 18th century realist Flaubert any day. Rating this feels unfair as it’s returning to my bookshelf unfinished, and I suspect it will remain that way for some time.
msand3's review against another edition
3.0
The two issues I had with this collection were the selections (some very weak -- almost filler, in the case of “Another Study of Womankind”) and the translations, which occasionally did not improve on previous older translations -- not because these translations were particularly bad, but because the previous translations were adequate enough. I’m glad I encountered Balzac in other longer works before picking up this book because if I had started here, I may not have been motivated to dig deeper into his body of work.