The Back of the modern history

the Back of the modern history is a Romance of Honore de Balzac, published in 1848. It enters the Scènes of Parisian life of the human Comedy .

One has little certainty on the history of the publication of this work which, in him only, summarizes all the secret work of the writer, his manner of composing of the intrigues with drawers in which it leaves sometimes trace of a message. When it finishes this novel, Balzac does not know that it will be the last. Its health is already staggering. The following will remain unfinished. One includes/understands better, by knowing that, the choice of the subject: a secret society with charitable goal. The choice of the place also: a deserted district not far from the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris. The Balzac mythology, directly inherited the black novel, wants that the force reigns by the mystery and that any truth capacity is occult.

Here it is about a charitable occult capacity: The Brothers of the consolation who protect themselves by the secrecy, and whose members of the order carry out a life of monk, modest, without requirement. This association is exactly the back of the Thirteen, of Histoire of the Thirteen . When he speaks about his novel, Balzac indicates that he prepares a kind of opposition to Splendeurs and miseries of the courtesans , where the vice reigned as an absolute mistress, he affirmed that, in this novel, he wanted to apply to the good the same idea as with the evil . The need for virtue, benevolence, religion in full heart of a corrupted capital is like the last wish of a writer who became exhausted to describe all the facets of the world, of best at worst, and which will leave behind him a gigantic work, inspiring of many writers. Balzac buckled without the knowledge a structure which was going to make date in the history of the literature: the idea of romantic cycle which will take as a starting point, inter alia, Emile Zola and Marcel Proust.

Topic

The Godefroy young person who decides to give up his life of debauchery and idleness, and which goes to a landlady following an advertisement, sees a man carrying help and consolation to another. While arriving in the house where one rents a room to him (Madam of Chanterie is the owner), he recognizes the good man. He would like to know some more about the activities of this one, Madam of Chanterie, but one asks him for a little patience. Because before becoming one initiate , it is necessary to conform to strict precepts.

One will not advise this work with the neophyte who wants to discover Balzac. There are long passages which could appear tedious if one is not familiar of the Balzac writing. But this novel is to some extent the top of a gigantic pyramid that Balzac built.

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