
Step into a late‑winter Parisian drawing‑room where the air hums with the clash of ideas rather than the clink of glasses. Artists, poets, scholars, and curious gentlemen fill the space, each eager to trade sharp wit for thoughtful observation. The narrator sketches the scene as a living tableau, where laughter, brushstrokes, and spontaneous anecdotes swirl together like a bright firework of conversation.
The evening unfolds between eleven and midnight, a cascade of lively exchanges that feel both polished and impromptu. Voices rise and fall, revealing hidden passions, gentle teasing, and a generosity of thought that seems rare in the public sphere. As the night deepens, the narrator strives to preserve the fleeting brilliance of that gathering, offering listeners a glimpse of the intellectual camaraderie that defined a bygone Parisian salon.
Language
fr
Duration
~6 hours (358K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Tonya Allen, Renald Levesque and PG Distributed Proofreaders
Release date
2004-04-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1799–1850
Best known for building La Comédie humaine, he turned novels into a sweeping portrait of French society—full of ambition, money, love, and social climbing. His stories are rich in detail, vivid characters, and the sharp observations that helped shape modern realism.
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1798–1873
A lively 19th-century French critic, journalist, and professor, he helped open up English and German literature to French readers. His work blends sharp literary judgment with a strong curiosity about ideas, history, and public life.
View all books1803–1870
A lively figure in 19th-century French literary life, this novelist and journalist moved easily between newspapers, serialized fiction, and the world around Honoré de Balzac. He is best remembered today both for his own popular novels and for helping complete several of Balzac’s unfinished works.
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by Honoré de Balzac

by Honoré de Balzac

by Honoré de Balzac

by Honoré de Balzac

by Honoré de Balzac

by Honoré de Balzac

by Honoré de Balzac

by Honoré de Balzac