Customer Reviews:
 A good introduction to the French Dickens May 1, 2004
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
Whilst the I would go along with many of the other reviewer's comments, particularly the similarity to the story of King Lear, I would not hold with this work, amusing as it is, to be comparable to Shakespeare!! However, as an introduction to Balzac's work, it is a good start and shows the Frenchman to be writing in his typically affected style in a tale that perhaps evokes some aspects of Dickens.
Like the Englishman, Balzac had the gift of defining the characters of the people within his novels through their dialogue which if often very amusing, particularly when the reader is aware of something of which the speaker is ignorant.In my opinion, the novel is worth reading for the presence of one such character, his greatest creation, the criminal mastermind Vautrin. I always picture Vautrin as being rather like Long John Silver with his ability to charm his acquaintances when his motives are clearly less than good intentioned and , frequently evil. Cerainly, the best parts of this book are when Vautrin makes an appearance. Luckily, the central character of the book Rastignac is too wise for him. Elsewhere, the story concerns the fate of another character who lives within the Parisian boarding house of Madame Vauquer, the unfortunate M. Goriot who we learn has sacrificed everything for the well being of his daughters.
This is one of the better books by Balzac but readers wishing to explore more of his work should be warned that, unlike the far superior Charles Dickens, there is not alot of variety amongst his many works. (This can probably be due to the fact that his publishers paid him by the line with the consequence that the quality is somewhat diluted.) However, if you are a newcomer to Balzac, this is an excellent introduction that will keep you amused with it's superior storyline and , of course, the gallic wit.
 Sensational tragedy woven around the story of Pere Goriot . November 14, 2001
13 out of 15 found this review helpful
This novel is one of Shakespearian proportions, and many parallels can be seen with King Lear. As in that play the tragedy in Pere Goriot revolves around the male character and his two daughters. The other central character is the young Rastignac, who goes on to feature in other novels belonging to Balzac's La Comedie Humaine, a collection in which this novel plays an important part. All of Balzac's novels are page-turners and this is no exception: love, betrayal and death are important themes. I found Pere Goriot to be a deeply involving work, and also a moral one; Balzac invites you to make judgements on the actions of his many characters. This novel is set in the nineteenth century and shows the glittering world of the Parisian nobility, but also the poorer circles of Paris. The interesting thing is that Balzac portrays money here as a corrupting influence, and avarice and love of power results in tragedy. In this way it has many points in common with modern fiction. If in the past you have enjoyed Balzac's and Emile Zola's novels you will love this; and even if you haven't read any works of either of these authors before then you couldn't start in a better place than Pere Goriot. Read it and weep!
|
