Honoré de Balzac.

Honore de Balzac was born on May 20, 1799 in Tours, France, to Bernard Francois Balzac, a government administrator, and Anne Charlotte Laure Sallambier. In 1815, the family moved to Paris, where Balzac studied at the Sorbonne, Lycee Charlemagne, and the Paris Law Faculty. His early attempts at publishing novels and running his own publishing company failed, plunging him into debt.

Balzac’s literary breakthrough came with Les Chouans in 1829, which served as a prologue to his massive cycle La Comedie Humaine. He wrote Scenes de la Vie Privee 1830-1832 and La Peau de chagrin 1831. His novel Le Pere Goriot 1835 reimagined Shakespeare’s King Lear in 1820s Paris. Eugenie Grandet 1833 was a thousand-page saga, and Lost Illusions explored the publishing world. He introduced over 2,000 characters across about 100 works, writing 14 to 18 hours daily.

Balzac corresponded with Countess Evelina Hanska for 15 years before marrying her in Berdichev, Russian Empire, in 1850. The marriage lasted only three months; Balzac died on August 18, 1850 in Paris. He had an illegitimate daughter, Marie Caroline Du Fresnay, with one of his lovers. His sister Laure Surville was a close confidante.

Balzac’s La Comedie Humaine profoundly influenced literature, inspiring realists like Flaubert and Zola. His works were adapted into films such as Cousin Bette 1998 starring Jessica Lange, and TV serials like Cousin Bette 1971 with Helen Mirren. He was posthumously honored as a Knight of the Legion of Honour. He is remembered for creating a panoramic social history of France through his interconnected novels.