Old Goriot (Pere Goriot)
Considered to be one of Balzac's most important works, Old Goriot, or Pre Goriot, is the story of its title character Goriot; a mysterious criminal-in-hiding named Vautrin; and a naive law student named Eugne de Rastignac. We are introduced to the characters at Maison Vauquer, a boarding house owned by the widow Madame Vauquer. Central to the theme of the book is the struggle to achieve upper-class status in society. Rastignac is eager to achieve this upper-class standing but is unfamiliar to the ways of Parisian society. Vautrin tries to convince Rastignac to pursue an unmarried woman named Victorine, a dubious suggestion which involves the disposal of her brother who blocks the woman's fortune. The failings to achieve this upper-class status are exemplified by Goriot who has bankrupted himself to support his two well-married daughters, yet they reject him. A classic and tragic story, Old Goriot is one of the most pivotal works in Balzac's sweeping novel sequence La Comdie Humaine, which endeavors to depict the effects of society on the entirety of the human condition.
Reviews
salma@salmaelmo
Safiya @safiya-epub
Olivera Mitić@olyschka
Jeni Enjaian@jenienjaian
Shreerag Plakazhi@shreerag
Morgane@helyna
miu@renebaebae
Danielle Martin@mard
JeremyGeorges-Filteau@jgeofil
london@clubsandwich
Sandrin@sandrin
John Nettles@jnettl2
Maurice FitzGerald@soraxtm
Juan Felipe@jfcr
angela@qngel126
Radwa@winterlover
Nikita @nikitad
Barbara@brubru
Fabiana@versidipinti
Jen@fierycracker81
Romaissa Bellarbi @romy_delacroix
Sasuga@nigar00
Taelyr Vecchione@taelyr
Noha Abdelaziz@nouhashawqi