The Imaginary Mistress By Honor De Balzac

During his short and frenetic life, Balzac could at times be a chameleon, tossing off works that were uncharacteristic of him, but by no means inferior to the standard classics for which we know him. For many years, he loved the Polish Countess Eveline Hanska (and eventually married her just months before he died). This is one of several of his works that was by way of a valentine to his love. (Another is The Seamy Side of Paris.) This novelette is about a young Parisian woman of fashion who marries a Polish Count, one Adam Laginsky. There is nothing quite so spectacular about this Laginski as his friend Paz. Acting as his steward and general factotum, Paz takes charge of Laginsky’s life, his investments, his horses, his real estate – and does it brilliantly. Why does he do this? While they were fleeing Poland after it was engulfed by Russia, Laginsky saved Paz’s life twice; so Paz took it upon himself to live quietly in his friend’s shadow, helping him in every way he could. This particular story has something of the myth of Pandora’s Box in it: the Countess Laginska suddenly becomes curious about this man Paz. It seems, you see, that Paz is actually in love with his friend’s wife; but he wants no part in breaking up the relationship. He does the one thing for which the Countess could not forgive him: He takes up with a circus rider named Malaga who is too infra dig for a Parisian woman of fashion to tolerate. How Paz maneuvers his way through this minefield makes this one of Balzac’s few great comedies.

"The Imaginary Mistress" from Honore de Balzac. Nineteenth-century French novelist and playwright (1799-1850)."

Honor de Balzac (1799-1850) was a nineteenth-century French novelist and playwright. His Magnum Opus was a sequence of almost 100 novels and plays collectively entitled La Comdie Humaine, which presents a panorama of French life in the years after the fall of Napolon Bonaparte in 1815. Due to his keen observation of detail and unfiltered representation of society, Balzac is regarded as one of the founders of realism in European literature. He is renowned for his multi-faceted characters; even his lesser characters are complex, morally ambiguous and fully human. Inanimate objects are imbued with character as well; the city of Paris, a backdrop for much of his writing, takes on many human qualities. His writing influenced many famous authors, including the novelists Marcel Proust, mile Zola, Charles Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, Marie Corelli, Henry James and Jack Kerouac, as well as important philosophers such as Friedrich Engels. Many of Balzac's works have been made into films, and they continue to inspire other writers.

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘The Imaginary Mistress by Honoré de Balzac - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Collected Works of Honoré de Balzac’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Balzac includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘The Imaginary Mistress by Honoré de Balzac - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Balzac’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the textPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This novella is part of the Scenes from Private Life section of Honore de Balzac's sprawling story cycle The Human Comedy. Trapped in a maddeningly frustrating love triangle and unable to express his true feelings to his beloved, protagonist Paz invents an imaginary mistress to use as an excuse for his lovesickness and increasing alienation from his group of friends.

This comprehensive collection of works by Honore de Balzac is a must-have for any literary enthusiast. The collection includes twenty-five volumes of his best works, including A Study of Woman, La Grande Breteche, and Peace in the House. These timeless tales explore themes of love, power, and betrayal and provide a fascinating glimpse into life in 19th century France. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

'La Fausse Maîtresse', also known as 'Paz' in English, is a novel by French novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac. The story begins by introducing us to Clementine, a descendant of rich and noble families whose wealth has been dissipated. She married Count Laginski, a Polish immigrant who is quite prosperous. They are a happy couple well set up in an attractive house. Clementine discovers that Adam has a friend who is acting as steward and general manager, a handsome young man who has been kept in the background. Adam and Thaddee had served together in the army and were close friends, although Thaddee was poor, but very capable. He was devoted to Adam, and had volunteered to look after Adam's affairs since he was worried that Adam and his wife would dissipate their fortune.