Finished: Le Pere Goriot (de Balzac). Another really good de Balzac book! As I said when I blogged about The Firm of Nucingen, de Balzac started putting his books into different classes in La Comedie Humaine, his collection of all his works. Le Pere Goriot (or Father Goriot) was included among the "scenes from Paris" books. The main character of Le Pere Goriot is Eugene de Rastignac. He apparently appears in over twenty of de Balzac's novels, but in this one, he is the main character. When reading The Firm of Nucingen, where Eugene de Rastignac was only talked about and was not an actual character, we learned that he had been from a family of nobility who had become poor. He was determined to work his way into Parisian society, and had already earned quite a yearly income. The characters in The Firm of Nucingen weren't sure how he'd come into his money, and by the end of Le Pere Goriot, the first novel that Rastignac appears in, he is still very poor, so you're not sure how he's going to go and make his money.

So, I'm wondering if we become privy to that knowledge in one of the many other books he's in? Anyway....I was all ready to completely dislike Eugene de Rastignac, but in this book, he ends up being the only character that is even halfway likable. He shows his compassionate heart, and yes, still his ambition to rise in society...but not yet so much at the expense of others as I imagine he evolves into. At the beginning of the story, Rastignac is a poor law student living in a rooming house in a shabby part of Paris with several other borders. The rooms are barely livable, and the meals the bare minimum, but they are like a little poor family who all eat together most nights at dinner. Another boarder in the house is Old Goriot, as the other boarders call him. He's an older man who has aged beyond his years since he's come to live at the house. The owner of the boarding house explains that when he first arrived, he had nice clothes and plenty of money to spend on food and extras, and he rented out the two nicest, most expensive rooms in the first floor. By the time we meet him, he's barely got any money and has moved all the way up to the cheapest and worst of rooms on the third floor. What's more...most of the boarders tease him cruelly, especially because they occasionally see two very attractive young women sneaking into and out of his room at odd hours. They assume that he must somehow be having affairs with these young "wanton" women.

Meanwhile, Eugene de Rastignac is working away at his law studies, but he becomes of great interest to another boarder, Vautrin...a man near his forties with a quick wit, a quick eye, and many opinions. The reader soon finds out that Vautrin is an unscrupulous escaped convict who runs money operations for powerful prisoners who are still behind bars. He's a dangerous, wanted man...but he does have a keen interest in Rastignac. Vautrin wants Rastignac to woo and marry another boarder...a young woman, Victorine, who, though her father would leave her wealthy with 3 million francs, has been pushed aside in favor of her brother. Vautrin tells Eugene that he will arrange to have the brother fight in a duel and lose, clearing the way for Victorine to go home to her father to her rightful place as his next heir in line. How perfect it will be, convinces Vautrin, for Eugene to woo Victorine while she's poor and get her to fall in love with him, and then be "surprised" when it turns out she's rich. It will be Eugene's easy ticket to high society, and of course, Vautrin only wants a small fee for his help. Though it is actually true that Victorine has already fallen for Eugene and he could easily become betrothed to her, Eugene refuses Vautrin's offer in disgust. He would never approve of another man's senseless death just to propel himself further. He plans, in fact, to go to Victorine's brother and father to warn them, but Vautrin drugs his wine and Eugene passes out and sleeps until hours past the duel. Victorine's brother is killed in the duel, and her father does send for her from the boarding house. This is the last we see of Victorine, even though she and Eugene did flirt a bit. I'd love to find out if she's in another of de Balzac's books!

In the mean time....Eugene de Rastignac has gone to his only familial connection in Paris (his family is in the provincial south of France), Madame de Beauseant, his mother's very rich and highly respected cousin. She agrees to introduce him to a few people in society and takes him to the opera with her that very night. Though his clothes are worn and far from the best, from afar many heads turn towards Madame de Beauseant's box at the opera wondering who the handsome young man is. For Eugene, the night is magical. He instantly notices the young baroness, Delphine de Nucingen across the way and falls in love at first sight. He begs for an introduction and is invited to sit in her box with her and her husband, Nucingen. Yes, he's the Nucingen from The Firm of Nucingen! Nucingen is happy for his wife to have a diversion because he cares only for his money and making his business deals. As it turns out, Delphine is miserable in her marriage. Eugene whispers boldly in her ear and charms her. On arriving back home that night, he writes letters to his sisters and mother begging them to scrape together as much money as they can to send immediately. He tells them it will benefit them all as he's going to use the money to further himself in society. He spends the money on a better suit of clothing, and continues to be invited to balls, operas and other social events, where he becomes a companion of Delphine de Nucingen. He also calls upon her sister, Anastasie de Restaud, and her husband. However, when Eugene sees the old man from the boarding house, Old Goriot, sneaking out a side door of their mansion as he is going in, he asks them if they know the fellow Goriot. They are taken aback, cut the visit short, and tell the servants that they (Restaud and Anastasie) are to "never be at home" whenever Rastignac calls on them again. He has been shunned!

Eugene doesn't understand this behavior, so he talks to his cousin, Madame de Beauseant. She informs him that Delphine de Nucingen and Anastasie de Restaud are actually sisters and both are the daughters of Msr. Goriot! In fact, Msr. Goriot was extremely wealthy, and his daughters were raised in opulence. Upon the death of his wife, and as the girls became of marrying age, he endowed them each with seven or eight hundred thousand francs, and kept a smaller amount for himself. Once they were married off, though, their rather cruel husbands took command of their money, so it was never at their disposal for spending on things like new dresses, etc. So, Goriot, who would do anything at all for his daughters, moved into the boarding house and little by little, spent the rest of his fortune still on his daughters as they needed things here and there! Sadly, the poorer he became, the less acceptable it was for them to socialize with him!! He was no longer welcome at their homes for meals, etc., because their husbands found him to be an embarrassment. Therefore, the girls would sneak over to see their father at odd hours...but not really out of love. They would usually go when they wanted something. Finally, Goriot was near having no money when Eugene de Rastignac became aware that he was the father of his beloved Delphine, and her sister.

Eugene immediately goes to Goriot and tells him he knows Delphine when he finds out and it makes the old man beam with happiness. He wants to hear all about his daughter who he usually has to trudge to a street corner to catch a glimpse of as she whizzes by in her rich carriage. Eugene cannot believe how the daughters have treated their father, and he grows very close to Goriot. Goriot becomes like a second father to him. Eugene tries to talk himself into just plodding along with his law career and not worrying about society, but he's in too deep now. He wants to rise equal to or above the snobs who would shun him in a heartbeat. Also, he's hopelessly in love with Delphine. Delphine appears to love him as well, and for a period of a few weeks, secretly works with her father to furnish a flat in a nicer part of Paris where she intends for Eugene to move with her father. These are the happiest weeks of Goriot's life in years as he gets to spend so much time with Delphine, who appears to enjoy her time with her father. As it turns out, though, she didn't have access to her money, so the entire thing was funded, yet again, by Goriot. He has cashed in his last bit of annuity he has left (I think what he may have saved to use in the event of his death), and used it for the flat. On a side note...apparently it was just completely common and "done" for any and all high society husbands and wives to have a lover on the side.

As Eugene and Goriot prepare to move a few days later, Goriot becomes violently ill in the head, as it is described. He is bedridden and can't move anywhere at the moment. Eugene is frantic and goes to the homes of both Anastasie (who turns him away) and to Delphine. Delphine says something like, "oh certainly father can't be that sick. You simply must take me to Madame de Beauseant's ball tonight as you promised. It will be the first time I've ever been introduced into the elitist of society". Eugene relents, figuring that Goriot will be ok through the night. As he goes back to get ready, Goriot encourages him to take his daughter to the ball. All he wants is their happiness. He wants to hear all about it and them when Eugene returns. Of course, Goriot becomes worse and worse as the night goes on. After the ball, Goriot is literally on his deathbed. He finally sees that his daughters will not come to see him and he rants against them and their selfishness. He blames himself, though, for spoiling them all their lives. Eugene is aghast and tries, yet again, by going to their houses, to get them to come. He is turned away by servants of both daughters. Goriot dies and Eugene and his medical student friend scrape up the money for a pauper's burial. Eugene and a servant from the boarding house are the only two people at Goriot's funeral. For some reason, both of the daughters send empty carriages bearing their respective coats of arms to stand at the funeral. Is that some French thing I don't understand? Or did they want it to look to others like they attended? I don't know. At the end of the book, however, Eugene turns to the city of Paris and says (at least in my version of the book), "Henceforth, there is war between us". I guess he means to keep climbing up the ladder of society and defeat Paris and her social class system? It must be so because we know that he continues to be companions with Delphine de Nucingen for years to come, despite her selfishness. And, we know that he becomes very rich and very high in society!

Oh, and Vautrin is captured and taken away by police in the book. His speech to Eugene, which is several pages long, about how Eugene will or will not make it in Paris when Vautrin's trying to convince him to go into a "partnership" with him, but before he outlines the death of Victorine's brother, is such brilliant writing! I might copy a snippet of it below, but I'd be typing forever to include the whole thing!

So...here are a few passages I liked.

When the boarding house owner, Mme. Vauquer, is wondering why Goriot is suddenly eating dinner at the boarding house more and more as his money is dwindling, she is annoyed by this. She had enjoyed wondering where he went on his little dinner out excursions, and now she has the extra mouth to feed.

It was hardly to be expected that Mmr. Vauquer should regard the increased regularity of her boarder's habits with complacency, when those little excursions of his had been so much to her interest. She attributed the change not so much to a gradual diminution of fortune as to a spiteful wish to annoy his hostess. It is one of the most detestable habits of a Liliputian mind to credit other people with its own malignant pettiness.

After Madame Beauseant's "friend", Mme. de Langeais comes to inform Madame Beauseant that her lover will become betrothed to someone else that afternoon, Madame Beauseant thinks quietly for a minute and then says..

"The world is basely ungrateful and ill-natured," said the Vicomtesse at last. "No sooner does a trouble befall you than a friend is ready to bring the tidings and to probe your heart with the point of a dagger while calling on you to admire the handle."

I guess de Balzac is giving religion a pinch when he speaks of Goriot's funeral:
The two priests, the chorister, and the beadle came, and said and did as much as could be expected for seventy francs in an age when religion cannot afford to say prayers for nothing.

Love that. :-) Next...part of Vautin's speech to Rastignac about raising to heights in society:

Do you know how a man makes his way here? By brilliant genius or by skillful corruption. You must either cut your way through these masses of men like a cannon ball, or steal among them like a plague. Honesty is nothing to the purpose. Men bow before the power of genius; they hate it, and try to slander it, because genius does not divide the spoil; but if genius persists, they bow before it. To sum it all up in a phrase, if they fail to smother genius in the mud, they fall on their knees and worship it.....You have seen that poor simpleton Goriot obliged to meet a bill with his daughter's name at the back of it, though her husband has fifty thousand francs a year. I defy you to walk a couple of yards anywhere in Paris without stumbling on some infernal complication....They are all dodging the law, all at loggerheads with their husbands....But do you know what an honest man is here? Here, in Paris, an honest man is the man who keeps his own counsel, and will not divide the plunder. I am not speaking now of those poor bondslaves who do the work of the world without a reward for their toil---God Almighty's outcasts, I call them. Among them, I grant you, is virtue in all the flower of its stupidity, but poverty is no less their portion. At this moment, I think I see the long faces those good folk would pull if God played a practical joke on them and stayed away at the Last Judgement....Well, then, if you mean to make a fortune quickly, you must either be rich to begin with, or make people believe that you are rich....Such is life. It is no cleaner than a kitchen. It reeks like a kitchen; and if you mean to cook your dinner, you must expect to soil your hands; the real art is getting them clean again, and therein lies the whole morality of our epoch.

Etc., etc., etc., ...it goes on and on. :-) Oh my, as I said, I did enjoy this good book, but I can't blog it all down. I'm just trying to decide if I want to read more of de Balzac's La Comedie Humaine right now to further explore some of these characters, or come back to them later. :-)