The Historian
Dear readers,
Time slows down and you do not know how to be entertained anymore? The Maison Balzac, nestled in the heart of the 16th arrondissement, will seduce you and make you jump back in time!
I have always been passionate about literature and I was looking forward to going to the Maison Balzac. I discovered Honoré de Balzac in my youth. Reading his works allows me the escape and constant deepening of my knowledge of a period that I did not know.
Balzac wanted to witness his century and through his novels I explored the 19th century. He focuses on the realities of everyday life and thanks to the richness of its observations the “Comédie Humaine” today has a value of historical testimony and allows us to follow the rise of the French Bourgeoisie.
The characters of the “Comédie Humaine” are fascinating and you must know, my dear readers that the frequentations of this famous writer served him as models for these characters. Victor Hugo, George Sand, Franz Liszt with whom he exchanged many times have stimulated the creation of his works.
Over the course of his career, de Balzac invented literary realism and wrote 91 novels and short stories. Hard worker, Honoré de Balzac will obtain the Legion of Honor in April 1845.
A literary museum
The Maison Balzac, located in the heart of the Passy district, is the only Parisian home of the writer who survives today. Honoré de Balzac has lived in this house for a few years and took advantage of the calm of the old village of Passy to write many of his books.
Today the house is a museum dedicated to the novelist and his work. I had the chance to admire some of his furniture and personal items such as his small writing table. The piece that definitely impressed me was the room dedicated to the characters’ genealogy of the "Comédie Humaine". In discovering the drawings, the silhouettes of more than 1000 characters, I became aware of the magnitude of his work.
During the visit, an anecdote was told to me and I wish to share it with you today. In October 1840, Balzac, who was crippled by debt, tried to be discreet and to escape his creditors. To this end, he was using a backdoor overlooking the street below.
I invite you, my kind readers, to go to this pretty house overlooking the Breton street whose street lights and sinuous country trail seem to tell the story of the old village. This elegant picturesque museum with undeniable charm does not lack a certain piquancy!
See you soon!
