The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-17
The Author Must Be Met Halt
Way to Have His Writings
Bring Entertainment to the Or
binary Reader
POPULARITY INCREASED
BY RECENT PUBLICATION
Professor Louis H. Dow, Head
of French Department at Dart
mouth College, Gives Advice on
the Best Way to Read the
Works of the Great Novelist

That Balzac is not an easy author
for the ordinary reader is generally
admitted.
His minute and realistic descrip-
tions of characters and scenes both
great and small weary those who take
up a book expecting to be entertained.
Still entertainment, and that of the
highest order, is not lacking In Balzac'
If the reader but meets the author
halfway. i-
A lover of Scott or Dickens picking
I'M at random almost any of Balzac's
numerous works would be apt to throw
It down soon, characterizing it as dry
But Balzac is not to be judged by
single volume. 1t is the whole series,
the wonderful Coincide Humane,
which give his admirers GROUNDS 10
base the claim that Balzac is the
greatest novelist the world has seen
Follow the same character with 6aIHac
through a half dozen books OF from
400 to 500 pages each, see how he (or
she) acts under the varied conditions
of life or is acted upon by them, wit
ness the subtle changes of character
caused by environment human lnnu-
enee. of the development of innate
powers. and the reader will discover
the master hand of the author guiding
all shaping all at his will, with con.
summate art. These are only a rev OF
the reasons why Balzac is great, II
not greatest
The recent publications of splendid
English TRANSACTIONS of Balzac has
greatly increased his popularity among
American readers. But it is a fact that
very few know how to read Balzac,
and can make next to nothing out or
the more or less tangled scheme of the
"Comedie Humane"
A Worcester person who wished to
read a course in Balzac and found
himself in doubt where TO begin, and
how to go on sought the advice Of
Prof Louis H. Dow, head of the
French department at Dartmouth Col
lege
Prof. Dow replied in a very interest
ing letter of which a part follows:
"No two people will agree about the
order In which any authors books
should be read. If you mean to read
nearly all of Balzac's works Ga colossal
undertakingD and trace gradually the
development of Balzac's mind through
his hooks. the chronological order Of
publication is perhaps the best This
begins in 1929 for what he published be-
fore then under a pseudonym is quite
unworthy of the great novelist. Les
Chouans" Is his first signed work. In
+ta same year {11S29) he wrote La
pSvsioiofTie du Marriage" (The Physi
ology of Marriage.) Below Is hst OF
b;s principal works In order of publ
cation:--
fsso--La Ma!son du Chat-qui-P elote.
(Tvhe sign of the Cat and Racket
1S91ZFinished in 1s34-La Femme de
trente ans. "a Woman of 30 years.
1Ssi-T;Auberge rouge. (The Red
Housed Exciting short story
1S31-Ie chef doeuvre inconnu. CIne
Unknown Masterpiece.)
1S31-T.a Peau de Chagrin. CIhe VITA
ASS Skin.) Philosophic.
1S32-Ie Colonel Chabert (Pathetlc)
1ss2-Le Cure de Tours. -,
1872 Louis Lambert. (AutObiograpnlc.)
1s33-I.e Medecin de Champagne. (Tne
Country Doctor.) Napoleonic reminis-
censes. very interesting.
1ss3-Eugenie Grandet ,rSo
1s94-I,a Recherche de IAbsolu. tIhe
guest Of the Absolute) FhlIosopIiIc;
Ts34-TA Pere Goriot (Father GoTloIl
~ ass+ernIace Same theme as King
Lear. l..
isas--Fiuishea la36-Le Lys dams Ia
vaIlee. (The Lily Of the Naliey2
1sssET,a yieile File rThe Old Maid')
Favorite type. ue.,,,o,
Imitation Of Robelais; old FRENCH
1SS7-Cesar Birotteau. ,,-..-.-,.
1S39-I4e Cure du Village 'Ihe Nou'''''
Parson.l
1S3g-Finished 1S44-BeatriX.
1S41-Ursude Mironet, L..
Is42-Un debut dams la vie. q start IN
Life.) Nh
IS42-Cn menage de Garcon. ~ oa1ii-
elor's establishments
1S43-Splendeurs ct miseres des Co"n
tesans .,,---,-..-
1s4S-Illusions perdues. Lost Iiluslohs'I
is44--Modeste Mignon.
is44-Les Paysans. (The peasant d
1S46-Cousine Bette. ,,,,.,
for Arcis.) -. low,
II have named only the best Know I,"a
works. emitting entirely his tnea lIl i Sa,
works II you DO not intend % - La
into a study OF Balzac snouIo 49, S4soS
you to follow his own cIssSli 'S'''N