Novel
The Wild Ass's Skin
La Peau de chagrin
Honoré de Balzac · 1831
Synopsis
Raphaël de Valentin, a young man without resources, goes into an antique dealer's shop, who shows him a piece of shagreen. The talisman grants every wish of its owner, but shrinks with each one and shortens his life by as much. Raphaël accepts it, obtains the fortune and the rank he wanted, and divides his life between the memory of Foedora, who never loved him, and Pauline, who loves him.
Context
The novel appeared on 6 August 1831 from Gosselin, in three parts: Le Talisman, La Femme sans cœur and L'Agonie. It was the first great success signed by Balzac: the edition sold out at once, a second followed in September, and seven were counted in the author's lifetime. In it the antiquarian sets willing, being able and knowing against one another, and the book poses the question of living intensely but briefly, or long without passion. It was placed at the head of the Études philosophiques of La Comédie humaine.
Who it is for
A novel of medium length, between fantastic tale and portrait of Parisian society, which can be read independently of the rest of the cycle.
Prizes and reception
The book that established its author; Helen Constantine has retranslated it into English for Oxford World's Classics.
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