Ofaya daga cikin waɗannan abubuwan da suka burge Balzac shine rayuwar aikata laifi. A cikin hunturu na shekara1828-29, a Faransa grifter -turned-sanda mai suna Eugene François Vidocq wallafa wani biyu daga sensationalized memoirs recounting ya m exploits. Balzac ya sadu da Vidocq a cikin Afrilu a shekara 1834, kuma ya yi amfani da shi azaman abin ƙira don wani hali mai suna Vautrin yana shirin wani labari mai zuwa. A lokacin bazara na shekara1834 Balzac ya fara aiki akan wani mummunan labari game da mahaifin da 'ya'yansa mata suka ƙi. Littafinsa ya yi rikodin layuka da yawa waɗanda ba a ƙare ba game da makircin: "Maganar Tsohon Goriot - Mutumin kirki -gidan masaukin masu matsakaicin matsayi - 600 fr. samun kudin shiga - bayan ya tube wa kansa tsirara ga 'ya'yansa mata wadanda duka suna da frdububiyar 50,000. samun kudin shiga - mutuwa kamar kare. ” Ya rubuta daftarin farko na Le Père Goriot a cikin kwanaki kaka arba'in; an buga shi azaman serial a cikin Revue de Paris tsakanin Disamba da Fabrairu.