{"product_id":"lost-illusions-9781513268309","title":"Lost Illusions","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eLost Illusions\u003c\/i\u003e (1837-1843) is a novel by French author Honor  de Balzac. Written as part of his \u003ci\u003eLa Com die humaine\u003c\/i\u003e sequence, \u003ci\u003eLost Illusions\u003c\/i\u003e looks at scenes of Parisian and provincial life involving friendship, desire, and literary ambition. Inspired by his own experiences as a journalist and publisher, Balzac sought to tell a story adjacent to his own, a story concerning a young man for whom talent is abundant but recognition is woefully scarce. The novel's protagonist, Lucien Chardon, features in Balzac's work \u003ci\u003eA Harlot High and Low\u003c\/i\u003e, as does the villain Vautrin, who appears toward the end of \u003ci\u003eLost Illusions\u003c\/i\u003e and throughout \u003ci\u003eFather Goriot\u003c\/i\u003e, one of author's most popular and enduring works.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe son of a middle-class father and aristocratic mother, Lucien Chardon is a promising young poet. He lives in Angoul me with his now-impoverished mother--who is also a widow--and his sister  ve. In the province, he spends his days with his loyal friend David S chard, who encourages his literary lifestyle while studying to be a scientist. David's eventual marriage to  ve only brings the two friends closer together, but when Lucien meets the wealthy and influential Mme. de Bargeton, with whom he flees to Paris, their friendship is lost to Lucien's unstoppable ambition. In the city, abandoned by Mme. de Bargeton and living under his mother's maiden name, Lucien de Rubempr  sacrifices morality, friendship, and family at the altar of poetry, slowly becoming another person altogether. \u003ci\u003eLost Illusions\u003c\/i\u003e is one of Balzac's most sustained character studies, a novel which critiques humanity and high society as much as it does his own commercial interests as a professional writer.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Honor  de Balzac's \u003ci\u003eLost Illusions\u003c\/i\u003e is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Mint Editions\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/01\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781513268309\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 570","brand":"Honore De Balzac","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":38027989516469,"sku":"9781513268309","price":20.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_068a71fa-6236-4431-8ef0-ac0cc3fa5fa5.jpg?v=1609194286","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/lost-illusions-9781513268309","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}