Father Goriot

Father Goriot is a book by Honoré de Balzac, first published in 1835. As a cornerstone of 19th-century French literature, this novel serves as a pivotal entry in Balzac’s massive interconnected series, The Human Comedy (La Comédie humaine). Specifically, it is often cited as the most essential volume in the "Scenes from Private Life" section, as it introduces the recurring character system that became Balzac's trademark. Set in a decaying Parisian boarding house in 1819, the story weaves together the lives of three primary figures: the tragic, self-sacrificing old man Goriot; the ambitious law student Eugène de Rastignac; and the mysterious, cynical criminal Vautrin.

The narrative follows the education of Rastignac, a young provincial noble who arrives in Paris with dreams of climbing the social ladder. He soon becomes obsessed with the glittering world of the aristocracy, only to find it fueled by greed and moral bankruptcy. His path crosses with Father Goriot, a retired vermicelli maker who has spent his entire fortune to provide lavish dowries for his two daughters, Delphine de Nucingen and Anastasie de Restaud. Despite his boundless devotion, Goriot is reduced to living in poverty at the Maison Vauquer, ignored by his social-climbing children unless they require more money to pay off their lovers' debts or fund their vanity.

While Rastignac navigates the complex etiquette of high society, he is tempted by the dark philosophy of Vautrin, who argues that success in Paris is only achievable through cold-blooded manipulation or crime. This realist novel masterfully contrasts the squalor of the boarding house with the opulence of the salons, exposing a world where money is the only true god. Readers seeking a profound exploration of paternal love, social ambition, and the harsh realities of class struggle will find Father Goriot to be an indispensable classic that remains strikingly relevant today.

This is a translation by Ellen Marriage.