Résumé
Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes: A sequel to Illusions perdues, this novel follows Lucien de Rubempré and the mysterious Abbé Carlos Herrera in the Parisian criminal underworld.
It is a critique of society and a police procedural.
La Maison Nucingen: This story is a satire of stock-jobbing and finance, focusing on the fraudulent bankruptcies of the banker Baron de Nucingen.
It explores themes of wealth, power, and the amorality of the financial world.
Sarrasine: A short story about a sculptor who falls in love with a beautiful singer, only to discover a shocking secret.
The story explores themes of art, gender, love, and illusion.
Facino Cane: A philosophical short story about a blind, elderly clarinet player who claims to be a descendant of a Venetian nobleman and recounts his life story of lost wealth and love.
The story explores ambition, wealth, and the power of the human senses.
Histoire de la grandeur et de la décadence de César Birotteau: This novel follows the rise and fall of a Parisian perfumer.
It is a social and psychological study that critiques the materialistic values of Parisian society.