
PETTY TROUBLES OF MARRIED LIFE
By Honore De Balzac
PART FIRST
PREFACE
PETTY TROUBLES OF MARRIED LIFE
THE UNKINDEST CUT OF ALL.
REVELATIONS.
AXIOMS.
THE ATTENTIONS OF A WIFE.
SMALL VEXATIONS.
In this incisive comedy, the first act unfolds around a meticulously arranged marriage, where every detail—from dowries and inheritance to the awkward dance of mothers‑in‑law—is negotiated with the precision of a legal contract. The narrator watches a young, charming bride-to‑be and her prospective husband as their families haggle over fortunes, property, and social standing, turning what should be a celebration into a parade of petty concerns.
The tone remains gently mocking as the story catalogues the minutiae that threaten to overwhelm the couple: a boastful father counting his assets, an over‑eager mother‑in‑law warning of the bride’s susceptibility, and a chorus of notaries scribbling the terms of love. Through these sketches Balzac exposes how ambition, pride, and the fear of losing wealth shape even the most intimate bonds, offering listeners a witty snapshot of 19th‑century domestic politics before any deeper drama unfolds.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (308K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Dagny, and David Widger
Release date
2005-06-29
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1799–1850
A giant of French fiction, this restless, ambitious storyteller built a whole literary world in La Comédie humaine, capturing the dreams, vanities, and struggles of 19th-century society. His novels still feel lively because they care so much about money, power, love, and the ways people reinvent themselves.
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