The Invention of the 19th Century: Honore de Balzac
S06
Marguerite Feitlowitz
Oscar Wilde held that Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) invented the 19th century. Balzac has been called “a nocturnal Homer,” haunting the theaters, bars, streets, shops, and businesses in the Paris and provinces of his day. “I have learnt more from Balzac than from all the professional historians, economists, and stratisticians put together,” wrote Marxist theoriest Friedrich Engels. A master at rendering the visible world, Balzac was also obsessed with portraying the hidden desires, ambitions, and yearnings of a society in the throes of tectonic change. The Comedy, though full of fact, is not chronological, causing contemporary critics to liken it to a “mobile,” prefiguring the narrative experiments of the 20th century. In this seminar, we read a selection of the major novels, at the rate of about one per week. We also organize colloquia in which students present their own critical and creative works.