Le Cabinet Des Antiques - Wikipedia
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7/24/2019 Le Cabinet Des Antiques - Wikipedia http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/le-cabinet-des-antiques-wikipedia 1/2 22/11/2015 Le Cabi net des Antiques - W ikipedia, the fr ee encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Cabinet_des_Antiques 1/2 Le Cabinet des Antiques Illustration from an 1897 edition by Daniel Hernández Author Honoré de Balzac Country France Language French Series La Comédie humaine Publisher Hyp polite Souverain Publication date 1839 Preceded by La V ieille Fille Followed by Illusions perdues e Cabinet des Antiques From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Le Cabinet des Antiques ( The Cabinet of Antiquities) is a French novel published by Honoré de Balzac in 1838 under the title les Rivalités en province ( Rivalries in the provinces) in le Constitutionnel , then published as a work in its own right in 1838 by the Souverain publishing house. With la Vieille Fille, the work fits into les Rivalités, an isolated group in the Scènes de la vie de province collection of la Comédie humaine. In it, Balzac portrays the old nobility in the French provinces, ruined by the French Revolution and forgotten by the restored Bourbons. The marquis d’Esgrignon, his sister and his friends represent this social group, which the author had already portrayed in la Vieille Fille. The younger generation within this class, represented by the marquis's son, causes his loss, sucked in by the whirlpool of Paris, where he lives merrily and ruins his fortunes. Le Cabinet des Antiques works as a sequel to la Vieille Fille although the names of its main characters and not exactly the same. It is an adventure story, full of twists and with suspense created by the young son that borders on that of a crime novel as he lies and risks imprisonment. Plot The plot is partially narrated by journalist and author, Emile Blondet. The narrator talks about events he has witnessed, mainly his admiration for Armande d'Esgrignon and a small provincial town where his father, the respectable judge Blondet, still lives. As a child, Blondet frequently watches Armande while she takes a stroll with her nephew, Victurien d'Esgrigon. The angel-faced child is carefully taken care of, as he doesn't have a mother. He was raised by his doting aunt and his adoring father. As a young man, Victurien is strikingly intelligent but has a habit of lying, he prompts his impoverished family to give him more than they can afford to. Chesnel, the old notary, always manages to clear their debts, eventually ruining himself for Victurien. He even gives the young man his savings when the latter is sent to Paris. However, becoming a part of the marquis of Esgrigon's circle is a privilege, as only noble families are admitted. This makes some upstarts, such as Du Croisier, vengeful. The latter notices Victurien's penchants and manages to fault him. Victurien ends up being arrested for owing Du Croisier colossal sums of money. Chesnel manages to get the young man out of trouble with one of his clever ploys.
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Le Cabinet des Antiques
Illustration from an 1897 edition
by Daniel Hernández
Author Honoré de Balzac
Country France
Language French
Series La Comédie humaine
Publisher Hyp polite Souverain
Publication date 1839
Preceded by La V ieille Fille
Followed by Illusions perdues
e Cabinet des AntiquesFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Le Cabinet des Antiques (The Cabinet of Antiquities)
is a French novel published by Honoré de Balzac in
1838 under the title les Rivalités en province
( Rivalries in the provinces) in le Constitutionnel , then published as a work in its own right in 1838 by the
Souverain publishing house.
With la Vieille Fille, the work fits into les Rivalités,
an isolated group in the Scènes de la vie de province
collection of la Comédie humaine. In it, Balzac
portrays the old nobility in the French provinces,
ruined by the French Revolution and forgotten by the
restored Bourbons. The marquis d’Esgrignon, his
sister and his friends represent this social group,which the author had already portrayed in la Vieille
Fille. The younger generation within this class,
represented by the marquis's son, causes his loss,
sucked in by the whirlpool of Paris, where he lives
merrily and ruins his fortunes.
Le Cabinet des Antiques works as a sequel to la
Vieille Fille although the names of its main characters
and not exactly the same. It is an adventure story, full
of twists and with suspense created by the young sonthat borders on that of a crime novel as he lies and
risks imprisonment.
Plot
The plot is partially narrated by journalist and author,
Emile Blondet. The narrator talks about events he has
witnessed, mainly his admiration for Armande
d'Esgrignon and a small provincial town where his
father, the respectable judge Blondet, still lives.
As a child, Blondet frequently watches Armande while she takes a stroll with her nephew, Victurien
d'Esgrigon. The angel-faced child is carefully taken care of, as he doesn't have a mother. He was raised
by his doting aunt and his adoring father. As a young man, Victurien is strikingly intelligent but has a
habit of lying, he prompts his impoverished family to give him more than they can afford to. Chesnel,
the old notary, always manages to clear their debts, eventually ruining himself for Victurien. He even
gives the young man his savings when the latter is sent to Paris.
However, becoming a part of the marquis of Esgrigon's circle is a privilege, as only noble families are
admitted. This makes some upstarts, such as Du Croisier, vengeful. The latter notices Victurien's
penchants and manages to fault him. Victurien ends up being arrested for owing Du Croisier colossal
sums of money. Chesnel manages to get the young man out of trouble with one of his clever ploys.
7/24/2019 Le Cabinet Des Antiques - Wikipedia
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/le-cabinet-des-antiques-wikipedia 2/2
22/11/2015 Le Cabi net des Antiques - W ikipedia, the fr ee encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Cabinet_des_Antiques 2/2
Victurien eventually marries Du Croisier's niece, wallowing in her vast wealth and regularly making her
unhappy.
References
(French) Lise de Laguérenne, « D’un portrait de Mademoiselle de Maupin à la duchesse deMaufrigneuse dans Le Cabinet des Antiques : une lecture créatrice de Balzac », L'Année
balzacienne, 1997, n° 18, p. 413-22.(French) Anthony R. Pugh, « Du Cabinet des antiques à Autre étude de femme », L’Année
Balzacienne, Paris, Garnier Frères, 1965, p. 239-52.(French) Pierre Citron, « Le Cabinet des antiques », L’Année Balzacienne, Paris, Garnier Frères,1966, p. 370-3.(French) Anne-Marie Meininger, « Sur Adieu, sur Le Père Goriot, sur Le Cabinet des antiques. »,
L’Année balzacienne, 1973, n° 380-85.(French) Pierre Larthomas, « Sur le style de Balzac », L’Année balzacienne, 1987, n° 8, p. 311-27.(French) S. F. Davies, « Une source inédite d’un épisode du Cabinet des Antiques », L’Annéebalzacienne, 1974, p. 327-29.
External links
Le Cabinet des Antiques on French Wikisource(http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Le_Cabinet_des_Antiques)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Le_Cabinet_des_Antiques&oldid=663206343"
Categories: 1838 novels Books of La Comédie humaine
Works originally published in Le Constitutionnel 19th-century novel stubs
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