Balzac's Letters Reveal the Man Behind the Author

The second volume of Balzac's correspondence (1836-1841), edited by Roger Pierrot and Hervé Yon and published by Gallimard in the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, offers an intimate portrait of the writer. Lamartine described Balzac as "gros, épais, carré" yet light and supple. During this period, Balzac worked eighteen-hour days, producing major works like Le Lys dans la vallée, César Birotteau, and Illusions perdues. He also edited La Chronique de Paris, launched the Revue parisienne, and served as president of the Société des gens de lettres from August 1839. Despite crushing debt, he traveled to Italy and Sardinia. His letters to an unknown admirer named Louise reveal his sensitivity and contradictions, insisting that his apparent caprices are "des pensées très logiques." The correspondence shows Balzac as both a literary giant and a deeply human figure.