Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
sad
Well written, though at times verbose. Very interesting plotline. Depicts French life in the 1800s perfectly. Sad, poignant, thought-provoking. I would read the other books in the series. Pauvre étudiant, pauvre père Goriot.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Funny and moving and a fun look into Parisian life in the 1830s, I really enjoyed reading this. Also after reading 19th century literature I always want to speak in hyperboles about how I will just die from heartbreak if you don't reply to my letter etc etc
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Judging by only the first half of this book, I thought that it’s going to be as horribly misogynistic and extremely boring as “the wild ass’ skin”, but after reading all the way to the end… I changed my mind. In the review I wanted to write about how Balzac seems to only have one type of main character (a young, innocent, poor but ambitious student, who just got to Paris and is being quickly corrupted by the big city’s extravagant style of living and falls in love with a “truly Parisian” famme fatale), but it turns out that is not exactly the case in this story. I mean, it still isn’t that much different and creative, but there is a lot more to this story than I originally thought.
But still, it isn’t worth more than 2,5 stars, at least in my opinion.
But still, it isn’t worth more than 2,5 stars, at least in my opinion.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"This life of outward splendour, gnawed inwardly by all the worms of anguish, was what he had chosen to adopt, rolling in it, making his bed, like the absent-minded men in La Bruyere, in the mire of the ditch."
---------------
This was such a strong critique of the pursuit of class/societal acceptance and Parisian society. Goriot's daughters no longer cared about family and used up their father until there was nothing left. Rastignac felt able to judge and condemn the daughters, when he too was stampeding over and using anyone in pursuit of his class goals. Balzac showed how family and real connections were less important than the appearance of wealth and success.
He provided a strong contrast to Rastignac in the form of his friend, the student doctor. He was content to live a good enough life, and tried to help save Goriot at the end. We also got a constant contrast of the near-poverty of Rastignac and Pere Goriot's circumstances against the lavish life the daughters and other upperclass people lived in.
The family structure breakdown extended to marriages- which were treated as mere formalities and business unions. I thought the whole added intrigue around the convict was interesting and reminded me a bit of Les Miserables.
At times this was a tad slow and fairly predictable, and the descriptive paragraphs got quite lengthy, but that is also just a feature of this era of writing.
---------------
This was such a strong critique of the pursuit of class/societal acceptance and Parisian society. Goriot's daughters no longer cared about family and used up their father until there was nothing left. Rastignac felt able to judge and condemn the daughters, when he too was stampeding over and using anyone in pursuit of his class goals. Balzac showed how family and real connections were less important than the appearance of wealth and success.
He provided a strong contrast to Rastignac in the form of his friend, the student doctor. He was content to live a good enough life, and tried to help save Goriot at the end. We also got a constant contrast of the near-poverty of Rastignac and Pere Goriot's circumstances against the lavish life the daughters and other upperclass people lived in.
The family structure breakdown extended to marriages- which were treated as mere formalities and business unions. I thought the whole added intrigue around the convict was interesting and reminded me a bit of Les Miserables.
At times this was a tad slow and fairly predictable, and the descriptive paragraphs got quite lengthy, but that is also just a feature of this era of writing.