The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
alew publications,
BAlZAC'S PLACE IN LITERATURE.

Did ever one author pay o higher tribute
to another than Paul Bourget has paid to
Balzac9 1t was thirty years ago, he tells
us, that he read his first Balzao novel
through. He was then 10 years old. On Q
Sunday afternoon he visited o little readsl
ing room in Paris and asked by chance foE'
the first volume Of "Pere Goriot," What
his impressions were we will let Paul
Bourget relate for himselfI
at was 2 o'clock" he says, "when
found myself back on the sidewalk OF Rue
Sout1ot, having read the entire book. Tho
impression m m"s i t made n on 3nom me was SO %hs str11s
of mind into which Balzac had plunged me
was analogous to that produced by alcohol
or opium. l stood still for q few minutes
in order to reaccustom myself to the reality
This phenomenon OF extreme mental slime
ulation was accompanied by such O come
|'plete lack of power to direct my moveS1
ments that it took me a quarter of an hours
was to dine, and there were only 800 yards
to go. No book had ever before transported
me to such a condition OF exaltation. None
has ever done 1t since"
Bourget goes on to tell us "My vocation
as a writer dates from that period" 1t 10
impossible, he says. to compare Balzao with
others. II have loved him too much" he
continues; IL love him too much still, not
w avn AAhAAA To w So ~
whom one owes emotions that are fncom.
parable"
It is by Balzac's droll s~tories-and who
that has read them has not done SO with
Is perhaps best known to EnRlish-speaking
people. But the droll stories are to Bal
Zacs more elaborate works only what the
s%onnets Of Shakespeare are to the great
dramatist's tragedies and comedies. To
know B9lzac Il l. necessary 70 read bis
Bette" Illusions Perdues, "Peau de Cha
grim and, in fact, the entire series Of nov
els that go to make up the Coincide HUI
maine. just as II Is necessary TO read
Hamlet" and Macbeth" and "Othello,"
"The Merchant of Venice" and "As You
Like It." and Shakespeare's other dramas
In order to understand Shakespeare. OF
BalZac it may be said as OF Shakespeare,
that there il no human emotion that he has
not sounded, no passion that he has not por-
trayed. Like Shakespeare. too, he seems to
every vocation. SO that his novels are as
faithful to life in all its many phases as arc
Sbakespeare's dramas.
Balzac was to prose what Shakespeare
was 10 poetry, and he expressed all THAI
prose may speak just a. Shakespeare ex-
pressed all that poetry may sing.
All who desire to form the acquaintance
OF Balzac can now do SO through the me-
dunn of the English language: The new
edition, besides being a faithful transla-
ton, Is as complete as the publishers, who
are famous for the elegance OF their pro-
auctions, can make 1t. 1t Is printed on
hand made paper, with beautiful illustra:
ions and is bound In the highest style OF
the bookbinder's art, with deckled edges
and gilt top.
The work is translated under the direct
supervision of George Salntsbury, the
greatest living " Balzac" scholar, and this
Is n sufficient guarantee that none OF the
effects in the original are lost In the trans
lation. Besides "The Comedy of Human
Life" which Is complete in thirty volumes,
the publishers also print Balzac's droll
stories, about thirty in number, in two adj
ditiOnal volumes.
Those who desire to know more about
his. the most recent and most complete
edition of Balzac, should address
THE CEBBlE PUBLISHING CO.,
BENNETT BUILDING, New York City.
S1 .ody.ssy' Ql15n.n,s tlSs,rAtoaSE