Not many struggling authors would declare that their newest project was going to make them a genius or even would set out to write a series of books that would try to encompass all elements of society in the first place. The result of Honoré de Balzac’s unique ambition was his life-work and masterpiece, “La Comédie humaine”, which by the end of Balzac’s life consisted close to 100 novels, plays and short stories, all focused around the life of the French during the 19th century. Born in 1799, Balzac had a difficult relationship with his parents. His father, in order to instill a work ethic, refused to send money to his son while he was at grammar school. A troublemaker, Balzac often had to be sequestered in a cell for disruptive students. When his family moved to Paris, Balzac entered a deep depression, which resulted in a failed suicide attempt of jumping off the Lorie River bridge. He soon attended the Sorbonne and then turned down an offer to become a lawyer, deciding to attempt a literary career instead.
While at first unsuccessful, Balzac continued writing, producing such plays as “Cromwell” and a series of low-quality novels were called by one critic “almost enthrallingly bad”. Despite the low quality product he was producing, Balzac was notorious for his work ethic, sometimes writing for fifteen hours straight. This all paid off when Balzac finally found success with “La Comédie Humaine”, a project he would work on until his death in 1850. His most critically acclaimed novels in the series were “Le Père Goriot”, updated to 1820s France, and “Eugénie Grandet”, about a miserly woman. Spanning such subjects as counter-revolutionaries, patricide, and a fable about a magical animal skin, Balzac used “La Comédie Humaine” to fulfill his original boast of upcoming genius, becoming one of the most famous French writers ever.