Human Comedy: Philosophical Studies

There are dilemmas - and then there are dilemmas. Juanito Leganes faces the sort of choice that is beyond our worst nightmares. It comes after his father, Marquis of the Spanish town of Menda, leads an uprising against the French occupiers, allowing the British to take the town. When the French retake it, their general orders the hanging of the Marquis and his entire family, including his wife, three sons and two daughters. However, Marquis asks for beheadings instead and for his eldest son, Juanito, to be spared. The general agrees but on one condition: that Juanito wields the axe. Will he decapitate them all and live, or will he choose to die with them at the end of a rope? If you are a fan of Bernard Cornwell's 'Sharpe' novels and the TV series starring Sean Bean, this short story is for you.

Superstition, sorcery, dark strangers, and a great poet in disguise, Honoré de Balzac takes a new turn in 'The Exiles'. Set in 14th century Paris, this novella sees sergeant Tirechair host two strangers at his house near Notre-Dame. One is a regular at the royal court, while the younger man is the son of a countess. Both of them spook the sergeant, as he believes they are sorcerers - and they are clearly incognito. As he gets ready to throw them out, there is a big reveal - and plenty of poetic justice. Balzac's 'The Exiles' is a clever exploration of the price of fame and the pressure of being born into the upper classes. If you like 'The Canterbury Tales' by Geoffrey Chaucer and 'World Without End' by Ken Follett, ´The Exiles´ will be a great read!

Why do good people suffer? This is the question Honoré de Balzac poses in 'The Hated Son', set in Normandy during the eighth war of religion between Catholics and Protestant Huguenots. The kind and gentle Jeanne de Saint-Savin loves her Huguenot cousin but has to marry the old and cruel Royalist count d'Herouville in order to save her lover's life. The couple has a son, who promises to be a ray of light in Jeanne's unhappy life. But darkness descends when the count accuses her of infidelity and banishes Etienne from his castle, to be brought up by fishermen. When the count's older son and sole heir dies, the rejected son is the only one alive to continue the family line and inherit the title. Etienne is back in the game. But will he play by the rules set by his father who rejected him? Other great reads that feature the theme of rejection are Jane Austen's 'Persuasion' and 'Much Ado About Nothing' by William Shakespeare.

An Italian and Spanish love triangle with Napoleon's army on the march as the backdrop, 'Juana' is an all-action story about two morally corrupt Italian soldiers in the French army in Spain. They lurk at the rear of the army and descend upon the women and the wealth of defeated towns. As they enter Tarragona, Montefiore spots the lovely Juana and sets about seducing her by inveigling himself with her family. They fall for each other, but Montefiore gets caught in a lie and Juana ends their affair. Then, in a fit of pique, she marries his friend, the other Italian soldier, Diard. It is a decision that sparks a pulsating plot featuring cruelty, a disintegrating marriage, gambling, murder, deception, and a dishonest doctor. 'Juana' is ideal for those who enjoy Bernard Cornwell's 'Sharpe' stories, which were made into a TV series, starring Sean Bean.

When the narrator and his wife visit an idyllic and picturesque town near the sea they meet a fisherman and a hermit. The ubiquitous poverty and squalor of the seaside town spills over into the lives of its inhabitants. It is only to be expected that the two spouses are moored by the talkative fisherman in a manner invoking 'The Rime of The Ancient Mariner' by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Gleaming with descriptive language depicting the daily tribulations of post-Napoleonic France, 'A Drama on the Seashore' is an absolute must-read for fans of other books in 'The Human Comedy' series. But there is no need for prior acquaintance with the series in order to enjoy this evocative and elegant novel. Guy de Maupassant, Flaubert and Emile Zola were naturalist writers who were directly influenced by Balzac.

Dinner party in Paris. A guest called Hermann starts to tell a story; a story about two French doctors who traveled to Andernach in Germany in 1799. The men decided to stay in a guesthouse called Red Inn – without realizing that the name of the place might have been an omen about the terrifying things that were ought to happen there that very night... 'The Red Inn' is Honoré de Balzac's an exciting short story first published in 1831.

"The Recruit" is a short story from Balzac's "Philosophical studies", set during the horrors of the Reign of Terror. An aristocratic mother is desperately awaiting the return of her only son and heir. Focusing on the small-town talk and gossip, Balzac's story is a melodramatic and hopeful episode on his literary journey. The author becomes the historian and narrator of the situation, creating a memorable and vivid narrative, rich in character portrayal and human emotions.

When Milanese nobleman Count Andrea Marcosini sees Marianna in the crowd at the Palais-Royal in Paris, he immediately decides that she will be his. After all, this wealthy man with a wandering eye is used to getting what he wants. However, she is married to a composer called "Gambara", whose music reaches heights of beauty - but only when he is drunk. The count gives them money, then gives him a drink, and then, finally, steals Marianna from him. It is a tale of lust, greed and arrogance - with one significant twist. 'Gambara' will delight fans of Balzac's body of work.

When an aspiring artist Nicolas Poussin gets a chance to meet the legendary painter Frenhofer, he is more than thrilled. Frenhofer has the ability to paint in an incredible way, and besides that, he has deep and philosophical thoughts about aesthetics and art. Poussin is so ensnared by Frenhofer that he offers his lover Gillette to work as a model for Frenhofer – without asking Gillette first. 'The Unknown Masterpiece' is Honoré de Balzac's short story first published in 1831.