Scan barcode
A review by _marco_
Cousin Bette by Honoré de Balzac
slow-paced
4.75
Cousin Bette follows the eponymous character Lisbeth, a certain Edmond Dantès of Parisian society, as she seeks revenge upon her cousin’s family for generally disregarding her and stealing her pseudo-lover. Lisbeth’s convoluted plan is brilliantly set and developed by the author and riddled with so much irony, double-entendres, and social commentary that I can only marvel at Balzac’s creative genius.
I loved the cast of characters that make up the story. They are given such individual personalities, complete with their own set of passions, philosophies, and personal little tics that give each of them such life. I especially loved Lisbeth’s character. Her thoughts and convictions were so emotive, her rage palpable, and her brilliance admirable. I also enjoyed the characters of Wenceslas for the first half of the book, and Josépha in the latter half, for reasons that become apparent as the story develops.
I also loved her ride-or-die relationship with Valérie — I found it quite endearing, despite the viciousness of their actions. They’re two perfect opposites, yet they get along and collude with one other in such a way that reminds me of my own strongest friendships (I promise that we are not wreaking anyone’s home!). I like to think that they were lovers.
There is also something to be said about the portrait of 1840s Paris that Balzac shows to us. I can see the appeal to a historian, but I found talk of interest rates and government services redundant and uninteresting, outside of the necessary context required for the story. I can appreciate the realism with which Paris is rendered by the author, but it takes away from the story’s timelessness and universality. Interspersed within the story was also Balzac’s occasional commentary on art, artistry, and taste, which I greatly appreciated.
There were moments of emotion that were incredibly poignant and beautifully written. I myself felt the hopeless resign of an old woman who will never experience love, her rage as all her hopes were stolen from her, the woes of a pious wife upended by her cheating husband, as well as the repentant plea of a sinner in terminal sickness.
I loved the cast of characters that make up the story. They are given such individual personalities, complete with their own set of passions, philosophies, and personal little tics that give each of them such life. I especially loved Lisbeth’s character. Her thoughts and convictions were so emotive, her rage palpable, and her brilliance admirable. I also enjoyed the characters of Wenceslas for the first half of the book, and Josépha in the latter half, for reasons that become apparent as the story develops.
I also loved her ride-or-die relationship with Valérie — I found it quite endearing, despite the viciousness of their actions. They’re two perfect opposites, yet they get along and collude with one other in such a way that reminds me of my own strongest friendships (I promise that we are not wreaking anyone’s home!). I like to think that they were lovers.
There is also something to be said about the portrait of 1840s Paris that Balzac shows to us. I can see the appeal to a historian, but I found talk of interest rates and government services redundant and uninteresting, outside of the necessary context required for the story. I can appreciate the realism with which Paris is rendered by the author, but it takes away from the story’s timelessness and universality. Interspersed within the story was also Balzac’s occasional commentary on art, artistry, and taste, which I greatly appreciated.
There were moments of emotion that were incredibly poignant and beautifully written. I myself felt the hopeless resign of an old woman who will never experience love, her rage as all her hopes were stolen from her, the woes of a pious wife upended by her cheating husband, as well as the repentant plea of a sinner in terminal sickness.
Lisbeth sat down and sombrely contemplated the youthfulness and distinguished good looks before her: the artist’s brow, the mane of silky hair; everything that called to her repressed instincts as a woman; and a few tears, instantly dried, dimmed her eyes for a moment. She looked like one of the frail, meagre, figures carved by medieval sculptors above tombs.
The only reason why I did not give it a perfect 5 is because, while the hot outbursts of feeling certainly added a lot to the story, I found that it was not as emotionally driven or as psychologically vivid as other stories I’ve read and adored, and the criticisms of the bourgeois and society did not help either. In some instances it almost felt like a gossip piece.
Overall a great read, I recommend it especially to those who read for the plot and historians who care for the nonsensical redundancy of 1840s Parisian bureaucracy .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Racial slurs
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Racial slurs
Theres a few instances, especially near the end, where racial slurs are used in my translation of the novel. There is also some excessive exoticism and even racism/prejudice directed towards Brazilians and Polish people.