The early 19th century is the setting for Honore de Balzac's book "Eugenie Grandet," which takes place in the French town of Saumur. The Grandet family, who are both affluent and exceedingly thrifty, is the focus of the narrative. Felix Grandet, the family patriarch, was formerly a cooper who amassed wealth via wise investments. He lives in a large home, a representation of his riches and social standing in the community, with his wife and daughter Eugenie. Charles, Eugenie's cousin, who stays with the family, adores this lovely and innocent young lady. Felix Grandet, who considers Charles to be a possible danger to his fortune, opposes the marriage. The reader is exposed to the various personalities in the town as the plot develops; everyone has their own secrets and aspirations. Balzac explores the themes of greed, love, and the corrupting power of money using the town as a microcosm of French society. The sad conclusion of the book reveals the dark secrets of the Grandet family and the consequences of their greed. As the rest of the village carries on with their activities, unconcerned with Eugenie's destiny, she is left alone and sad.
Honoré de Balzac was a French novelist and dramatist who lived from 1799 to 1850. One of the most significant writers of the 19th century, he is regarded as such. Many people believe La Comédie Humaine, his masterwork, to be his finest work. His mother was Anne-Charlotte-Laure Sallambier, and his father was Bernard-François Balssa. He was the Balzacs' second child. Honoré Balzac spent his first two years of life living with a wet nurse after being abandoned as a newborn. From the age of 10, Balzac attended the Oratorian grammar school in Vendôme. "Look at the beautiful ones we sent the academy back!" was how his grandma put it. On a bridge over the River Loire, he attempted suicide. Balzac wrote El Verdugo shortly after his father died. It is the story of a 30-year-old man who kills his father (Balzac was 30 years old at the time). This was Honoré de Balzac's first piece of work. After courting her for five years, Balzac wed Countess Eve de Balzac (formerly Countess Haska) in Ukraine in 1850. On Sunday, August 18, 1850, five months after his wedding, Balzac died in the company of his mother; Eve de Balzac (previously Countess Haska) having retired to bed. Balzac is buried in Paris' Père Lachaise Cemetery.
