I will not say what happens this is the third time i have read this late masterpiece of balzacs and it got better with each reading. The bette referred to in this magnificent novels title is lisbeth fischer, an excruciatingly cunning poor relation who both depends upon and nurses a terrible grudge against the family of her beautiful cousin, adeline. The wealthy hulot family gathers at the deathbed of their matron adeline. It is a classic novel of revenge, passion, and vices. It offers us a hypnotic vision of that infinitely varied city during the bright, vital, scandalous, and sexually untrammeled era of king louisphilippe. On the one hand she was jealous of her cousin, but on the other she studied hard, she built her own family. Balzac described cousin bette as one of his scenes of parisian life, and it is certainly that. Grounded in a meticulous documentation of contemporary france, this tale is set in the prosperous paris of louisphillipe and details a jealous womans campaign of persecution against her own family.
Cousin bette 1846 is considered to be balzacs last great novel, and a key work in his human comedy. Johanna ward the story of a vosges peasant who rebels against her scornful upperclass relatives, skillfully turning their. That family is slowly being ruined by the uncontrollable sexual appetites of adelines husband, baron hulotand it is this weakness that will give the cunning cousin bette an. At the beginning of cousin bette, he is at his apogee. I recommend this book as the audio backdrop for a 2 week vacation in paris. Set in the paris of the 1830s and 1840s, it is a complex tale of the devastating effect of violent jealousy and sexual passion. Start a free 30day trial today and get your first audiobook free.
Set in mid19th century paris, it tells the story of an unmarried middleaged woman who plots the destruction of her extended family. Global grey free pdf, epub, kindle ebook pages pdf. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on. Set in mid19thcentury paris, it tells the story of an unmarried middleaged woman who plots the destruction of her extended family. As in many of balzacs novels, its characters represent polarities of contrasting morality. Its a city full of temptations, in which money is king, morals are loose and the appeals of the virtuous are usually in vain. The author says it is a companion piece to cousin pons, which is a better novel in my view. But both books pale in comparison to lost illusions, which i regard as balzacs best novel just ahead of pere goriot. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. A tale of seductive women and philandering men, of passionate affairs and spiralling debts, cousin bette paints a vivid portrait of paris in the 1830s and 40s.
In cousin bette, lisbeth fischer feels shes been wronged though much of what she perceives may only reside in her imagination. Critics hailed the book as a turning point in the authors arta prototypical naturalist text. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Last week, around 30,000 people downloaded books from my site 8 people gave donations. Set in mid19thcentury france, it tells the story of a woman who resents her position as a poor relation. Cousin bette 1846, long considered balzacs last great novel, is a key work in his comedie humaine. Bette, a poor relation of the beautiful adeline, nurses a terrible grudge against her cousins family, on whom she depends. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. But with the change of society and her obstinate nature, bette became the worker again. Paris france social life and customs 19th century fiction category. Internet archive contributor internet archive language english. Set in paris, cousin bette tells the story of an unmarried middleaged woman who plots the destruction of her extended family. A tale of seductive women and philandering men, of passionate affairs.
Seeking vengeance against the family of her beautiful cousin. Alternative book cover art for cousin bette by honore balzac. Seeking vengeance against the family of her beautiful cousin, adeline, she leverages the uncontrollable sexual appetites of her cousin s husband as the linchpin of her plans. Bette enlists the help of valerie, an unhappily married young woman, to. Bette, a poor relation of the beautiful adeline, nurses a terrible grudge against her cousin s family, on whom she depends.
Set in paris, gareth daviess film of tragic jealousy and vengeance follows aging spinster bette. That family is slowly being ruined by the uncontrollable sexual appetites of adelines husband, baron hulotand it is this weakness that will give the cunning cousin bette an opportunity to exact her vengeance. Bette audiobooks for free link in page 4 to listen or download book. Against a meticulously detailed backdrop of a postnapoleonic france struggling with massive industrial and. Cousin bette is not one of balzacs best, but it is very good. Lisbeth fischer feels shes been wrongedthough much of what she perceives may only reside in her imagination.