What do you think?
Rate this book
La Com茅die Humaine #25
毓卮丕蹖 乇亘丕賳蹖 賲賱丨丿丕賳
丕賵 賯胤毓丕 丿爻倬賱賳 亘賵丿貨 噩乇丕丨蹖 丨丕匕賯貙 禺丿丕賳丕亘丕賵乇蹖 亘丕胤賳蹖 賵 丨丕賱丕貙 毓丕亘丿蹖 丕鬲賮丕賯蹖. 乇賲夭 賵 乇丕夭 賲丕噩乇丕 丕夭 賴賲賷卮賴 亘賷卮鬲乇 卮丿賴 亘賵丿... 貨
81 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 1836
66 people are currently reading
1947 people want to read
About the author
Honor茅 de Balzac
8,706听books4,232听followersFrench writer Honor茅 de Balzac (born Honor茅 Balzac), a founder of the realist school of fiction, portrayed the panorama of society in a body of works, known collectively as
La com茅die humaine
.
Honor茅 de Balzac authored 19th-century novels and plays. After the fall of Napol茅on I Bonaparte in 1815, his magnum opus, a sequence of almost a hundred novels and plays, entitled, presents life in the years.
Due to keen observation of fine detail and unfiltered representation, European literature regards Balzac. He features renowned multifaceted, even complex, morally ambiguous, full lesser characters. Character well imbues inanimate objects; the city of Paris, a backdrop, takes on many qualities. He influenced many famous authors, including the novelists Marcel Proust, 脡mile Zola, Charles John Huffam Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, and Jack Kerouac as well as important philosophers, such as Friedrich Engels. Many works of Balzac, made into films, continue to inspire.
An enthusiastic reader and independent thinker as a child, Balzac adapted with trouble to the teaching style of his grammar. His willful nature caused trouble throughout his life and frustrated his ambitions to succeed in the world of business. Balzac finished, and people then apprenticed him as a legal clerk, but after wearying of banal routine, he turned his back on law. He attempted a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician before and during his career. He failed in these efforts. From his own experience, he reflects life difficulties and includes scenes.
Possibly due to his intense schedule and from health problems, Balzac suffered throughout his life. Financial and personal drama often strained his relationship with his family, and he lost more than one friend over critical reviews. In 1850, he married Ewelina Ha艅ska, his longtime paramour; five months later, he passed away.
Honor茅 de Balzac authored 19th-century novels and plays. After the fall of Napol茅on I Bonaparte in 1815, his magnum opus, a sequence of almost a hundred novels and plays, entitled, presents life in the years.
Due to keen observation of fine detail and unfiltered representation, European literature regards Balzac. He features renowned multifaceted, even complex, morally ambiguous, full lesser characters. Character well imbues inanimate objects; the city of Paris, a backdrop, takes on many qualities. He influenced many famous authors, including the novelists Marcel Proust, 脡mile Zola, Charles John Huffam Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, and Jack Kerouac as well as important philosophers, such as Friedrich Engels. Many works of Balzac, made into films, continue to inspire.
An enthusiastic reader and independent thinker as a child, Balzac adapted with trouble to the teaching style of his grammar. His willful nature caused trouble throughout his life and frustrated his ambitions to succeed in the world of business. Balzac finished, and people then apprenticed him as a legal clerk, but after wearying of banal routine, he turned his back on law. He attempted a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician before and during his career. He failed in these efforts. From his own experience, he reflects life difficulties and includes scenes.
Possibly due to his intense schedule and from health problems, Balzac suffered throughout his life. Financial and personal drama often strained his relationship with his family, and he lost more than one friend over critical reviews. In 1850, he married Ewelina Ha艅ska, his longtime paramour; five months later, he passed away.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
August 22, 2019
A Morality of Friendship
When one despairs of humanity, yet experiences a friendship with another human being, how can one commemorate that friend鈥檚 life after his death? Certainly by 鈥榙oing unto others.鈥� But merely passing on the gift of friendship feels an inadequate tribute to the memory of the originating friend in an unworthy society.
There is something spiritual in the relational connection itself which can鈥檛 be transmitted beyond itself. Something is 鈥榦wed鈥� to the friendship. 鈥淕别苍颈耻蝉,鈥� Balzac says, 鈥渁lways presupposes moral insight.鈥� And since morality is about people not ideas, or beliefs, or principles it may be necessary to give these up in order to be authentically moral, particularly if one is an 鈥渋nvincible atheist.鈥� Perhaps a spiritual offering is the only solution.
As an incidental footnote: I was for some time a member of St. Benet鈥檚 Hall, one of the Catholic colleges at Oxford University. There arose a rumour st some point, attested by several reliable folk, that Richard Dawkins was seen more than once entering the Hall on Sunday mornings for Mass. I discounted the story as an Oxford myth. After reading this Balzac story I鈥檓 not so sure. It might have been true.
When one despairs of humanity, yet experiences a friendship with another human being, how can one commemorate that friend鈥檚 life after his death? Certainly by 鈥榙oing unto others.鈥� But merely passing on the gift of friendship feels an inadequate tribute to the memory of the originating friend in an unworthy society.
There is something spiritual in the relational connection itself which can鈥檛 be transmitted beyond itself. Something is 鈥榦wed鈥� to the friendship. 鈥淕别苍颈耻蝉,鈥� Balzac says, 鈥渁lways presupposes moral insight.鈥� And since morality is about people not ideas, or beliefs, or principles it may be necessary to give these up in order to be authentically moral, particularly if one is an 鈥渋nvincible atheist.鈥� Perhaps a spiritual offering is the only solution.
As an incidental footnote: I was for some time a member of St. Benet鈥檚 Hall, one of the Catholic colleges at Oxford University. There arose a rumour st some point, attested by several reliable folk, that Richard Dawkins was seen more than once entering the Hall on Sunday mornings for Mass. I discounted the story as an Oxford myth. After reading this Balzac story I鈥檓 not so sure. It might have been true.
October 16, 2018
"I am like many pious men, men who appear to be profoundly religious but are quite atheistic as we are, you and I."
- Honor茅 de Balzac , "The Atheist's Mass"
Vol N掳 41 of my Penguin . This book contains two of Honor茅 de Balzac's short stories.
Included were:
1. "The Atheist's Mass" - 鈽呪槄鈽呪槄鈽�
2. "The Conscript" - 鈽呪槄鈽呪槄
"The Atheist's Mass" or "La Messe de l'ath茅e" killed me; ate me up and devoured me. Perhaps, it was the prose. It could be. It was clean, quotable, philosophic, humanistic. It is the kind of writing I could read for days at a time. But it was more than that. Balzac, in this story, seemed to capture the compexity and the nuance of man. The story is considered to be part of Balzac's Sc猫nes de la vie priv茅e in . "The Conscript" or "Le R茅quisitionnaire" is a story about a French aristocrat, Mme de Dey, during the French Revolution (1793). She is balancing her social needs in Normandy while trying to protect her son's legacy.
Like several of the writers in this series, I knew Balzac by reputation. My wife has read several of his books. But I had never read a story or novel he had written. These two stories insure that I will dive a lot deeper into his books over the next several years.
- Honor茅 de Balzac , "The Atheist's Mass"
Vol N掳 41 of my Penguin . This book contains two of Honor茅 de Balzac's short stories.
Included were:
1. "The Atheist's Mass" - 鈽呪槄鈽呪槄鈽�
2. "The Conscript" - 鈽呪槄鈽呪槄
"The Atheist's Mass" or "La Messe de l'ath茅e" killed me; ate me up and devoured me. Perhaps, it was the prose. It could be. It was clean, quotable, philosophic, humanistic. It is the kind of writing I could read for days at a time. But it was more than that. Balzac, in this story, seemed to capture the compexity and the nuance of man. The story is considered to be part of Balzac's Sc猫nes de la vie priv茅e in . "The Conscript" or "Le R茅quisitionnaire" is a story about a French aristocrat, Mme de Dey, during the French Revolution (1793). She is balancing her social needs in Normandy while trying to protect her son's legacy.
Like several of the writers in this series, I knew Balzac by reputation. My wife has read several of his books. But I had never read a story or novel he had written. These two stories insure that I will dive a lot deeper into his books over the next several years.
November 22, 2017
An average short story by Honor茅 de Balzac written in 1836, that was later included in 鈥淭he Human Comedy (La Com茅die Humaine), this story has little in the way of plot but rather contains a variety of powerful messages, ranging from social aspects, to morals and religion.
Balzac allies with his two main characters, Doctors Horace Bianchon and Desplain, and delivers a refined insight into the integration of beliefs and knowledge in the context of humanity.
Using the report of young Dr. H. Bianchon, whose medical practice was supervised by the renowned Dr. Desplain, the story introduces a significant social and philosophical matter, that of atheism, as a result of scientific thinking, and its implications in direct human relationships in 19th Century France. Although the text is not what I expected, it fact for me it's pretty poor, it still manages to provide a complex perspective on the matter through the portrayal of two types of relationships, that between Bianchon and Desplain (both atheists) and the one between Desplain and Bourgeat, a religious water-carrier who helped Desplein start his medical career although he himself was poor and could not even afford to fulfil his own modest dreams.
What initially appears to be a hypocrisy alarm that needs to be verified turns out to be a example of humanity, respect, understanding of human nature and gratitude. It is about understanding and accepting individual differences, and at the same time allowing yourself to be who you are and staying true to your own mindset and beliefs. It is about humanity as one of the highest forms of virtue, one that surpasses any limitation of status or creed. It is also about privacy and intimacy. About generosity and propagation of kindness. I get all that, far enough, it carries an important message, but it's no more than that. As a story though it's easily forgettable, read so much better.
Balzac allies with his two main characters, Doctors Horace Bianchon and Desplain, and delivers a refined insight into the integration of beliefs and knowledge in the context of humanity.
Using the report of young Dr. H. Bianchon, whose medical practice was supervised by the renowned Dr. Desplain, the story introduces a significant social and philosophical matter, that of atheism, as a result of scientific thinking, and its implications in direct human relationships in 19th Century France. Although the text is not what I expected, it fact for me it's pretty poor, it still manages to provide a complex perspective on the matter through the portrayal of two types of relationships, that between Bianchon and Desplain (both atheists) and the one between Desplain and Bourgeat, a religious water-carrier who helped Desplein start his medical career although he himself was poor and could not even afford to fulfil his own modest dreams.
What initially appears to be a hypocrisy alarm that needs to be verified turns out to be a example of humanity, respect, understanding of human nature and gratitude. It is about understanding and accepting individual differences, and at the same time allowing yourself to be who you are and staying true to your own mindset and beliefs. It is about humanity as one of the highest forms of virtue, one that surpasses any limitation of status or creed. It is also about privacy and intimacy. About generosity and propagation of kindness. I get all that, far enough, it carries an important message, but it's no more than that. As a story though it's easily forgettable, read so much better.
January 14, 2019
讴賲鬲乇蹖賳 賲夭蹖鬲 賮賯乇 亘乇丕蹖 丿賵爻鬲丕賳卮貙 禺賵丕亘蹖 賱胤蹖賮 賲賲賱賵 丕夭 乇賵蹖丕賴丕蹖 夭蹖亘丕爻鬲
![Profile Image for [ J o ].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1673171874i%2F4639825._UY200_CR4%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 8, 2016
I disliked this not for what it told, or spoke of, or what morals it may have wanted to express but for the fact that it was boring and slow and, well, just bad. Translations are not often so terrible as this.
Read
March 25, 2022Balzac undoubtedly loved the beautiful life. On the day of the death of one of his very rich uncles, who left him a substantial inheritance, Balzac announced the news as follows : " Today, at 5 o'clock in the morning, my uncle and I passed into a better world ".
I can't help but admire his clarvoyance.
I can't help but admire his clarvoyance.
April 27, 2022
协褌邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 薪械 屑芯卸械褌 薪械 褌褉芯薪褍褌褜, 泻芯谐写邪 胁褉邪褔, 邪褌械懈褋褌 锌芯 褍斜械卸写械薪懈褟屑, 蟹邪泻邪蟹褘胁邪械褌 褔械褌褘褉械 褉邪蟹邪 胁 谐芯写 芯斜械写薪懈 写谢褟 褋胁芯械谐芯 锌芯泻芯泄薪芯谐芯 写褉褍谐邪. 袘械写薪褘泄 袘褍褉卸邪 薪械 锌褉芯褋懈谢 芯 薪懈褏, 薪芯 褝褌芯 褌邪 械写懈薪褋褌胁械薪薪邪褟 斜谢邪谐芯写邪褉薪芯褋褌褜, 泻芯褌芯褉褍褞 袛械锌谢械薪 褋褔懈褌邪谢 写芯褋褌芯泄薪芯泄, 懈 泻芯褌芯褉褍褞 褏芯褌械谢 斜褘 袘褍褉卸邪. 袛械锌谢械薪 胁 斜谢邪谐芯写邪褉薪芯褋褌褜 蟹邪 褌芯, 褔褌芯 袘褍褉卸邪 胁褋械 褋胁芯懈 薪邪泻芯锌谢械薪懈褟 芯褌写邪谢 械屑褍, 褔褌芯斜褘 芯薪 褋屑芯谐 芯褌褍褔懈褌褜褋褟 懈 胁褋褌邪褌褜 薪邪 薪芯谐懈, 泻褍锌懈谢 械屑褍 懈 谢芯褕邪写褜, 懈 斜芯褔泻褍, 谢械褔懈谢 械谐芯, 泻芯谐写邪 褌芯褌 蟹邪斜芯谢械谢. 袧芯 邪褌械懈褋褌 袛械锌谢械薪 锌芯薪懈屑邪谢 鈥� 褝褌芯 胁褋械 薪械 褌芯, 薪械写芯褋褌邪褌芯褔薪芯, 褝褌芯 锌褉芯褋褌芯 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖械薪懈械 写芯谢谐邪, 薪芯 薪械 斜谢邪谐芯写邪褉薪芯褋褌褜. 协褌芯 谐谢褍斜芯泻芯 褌褉芯谐邪褌械谢褜薪芯, 泻芯谐写邪 谢褞写懈 锌褉芯褟胁谢褟褞褌 写芯斜褉芯褌褍. 袝褖械 斜芯谢械械 褌褉芯谐邪褌械谢褜薪芯, 泻芯谐写邪 谢褞写懈 斜谢邪谐芯写邪褉薪褘. 袘谢邪谐芯写邪褉薪褘 薪械 薪邪 褋谢芯胁邪褏, 邪 薪邪 写械谢械. 袘谢邪谐芯写邪褉薪褘 懈 锌芯褋谢械 褋屑械褉褌懈. 袘谢邪谐芯写邪褉薪褘 斜械蟹 锌褉芯褋褜斜.
September 6, 2021
丿賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 讴賵鬲丕賴 丕夭 亘丕賱夭丕讴貙 丕賵賱蹖 賲丕噩乇丕蹖 噩乇丕丨蹖 禺丿丕賳丕亘丕賵乇 讴賴 亘賴 丿賱丕蹖賱蹖 亘賴 氐賵乇鬲 賲賯蹖丿丕賳賴 賲乇丕爻賲 毓卮丕蹖 乇亘丕賳蹖 乇丕 趩賴丕乇 亘丕乇 丿乇 爻丕賱 丕噩乇丕 賲蹖 讴賳丿 賵 丿乇 鬲卮乇蹖丨 丕蹖賳 倬丕乇丕丿讴爻貙 亘丕賱夭丕讴 亘賴 夭蹖亘丕蹖蹖 亘乇鬲乇蹖 丕禺賱丕賯 乇丕 亘乇 賮賱爻賮賴 賴丕蹖 夭賳丿诏蹖 亘卮乇蹖 亘賴 乇禺 賲蹖 讴卮丿.
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丿賵賲 亘乇卮蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 蹖讴 亘蹖賵賴 丕卮乇丕賮 夭丕丿賴 賵 賮乇夭賳丿卮 丿乇 丿賵乇丕賳 丕賳賯賱丕亘 賮乇丕賳爻賴 乇丕 亘賴 鬲氐賵蹖乇 讴卮蹖丿賴 賵 鬲賲乇讴夭 丌賳 亘乇 乇賵丕亘胤 毓丕胤賮蹖 丕賳爻丕賳賴丕 賵 亘賴 禺氐賵氐 丨爻 賴賲丿乇丿蹖 丕爻鬲.
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丿賵賲 亘乇卮蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 蹖讴 亘蹖賵賴 丕卮乇丕賮 夭丕丿賴 賵 賮乇夭賳丿卮 丿乇 丿賵乇丕賳 丕賳賯賱丕亘 賮乇丕賳爻賴 乇丕 亘賴 鬲氐賵蹖乇 讴卮蹖丿賴 賵 鬲賲乇讴夭 丌賳 亘乇 乇賵丕亘胤 毓丕胤賮蹖 丕賳爻丕賳賴丕 賵 亘賴 禺氐賵氐 丨爻 賴賲丿乇丿蹖 丕爻鬲.
July 16, 2018
Honor茅 de Balzac was a French writer who composed La Com茅die humaine, a collection of interlinked novels and stories that together present life as it was in France during the post-Napoleonic era. This Little Black Classic features two short stories taken from his magnum opus: The Atheist's Mass and The Conscript.
While the first tells the story of a masterful doctor and known atheist, who is seen attending a mass four times a year. As the story unfolds, we learn of compassion, tenderness and respect for the faith of others. The second gives us insight into the life of a mother who is waiting for her son to return from war.
Both are powerful stories with a moral. I fell for de Balzac's writing immediately: his words are slow burning, he takes time to introduce his characters, but because of that he enables them to come alive. There's a lot telling and comparatively little showing in here, but we're provided a stunning portrait of times different to ours today.
In 2015 Penguin introduced the Little Black Classics series to celebrate Penguin's 80th birthday. Including little stories from "around the world and across many centuries" as the publisher describes, I have been intrigued to read those for a long time, before finally having started. I hope to sooner or later read and review all of them!
While the first tells the story of a masterful doctor and known atheist, who is seen attending a mass four times a year. As the story unfolds, we learn of compassion, tenderness and respect for the faith of others. The second gives us insight into the life of a mother who is waiting for her son to return from war.
Both are powerful stories with a moral. I fell for de Balzac's writing immediately: his words are slow burning, he takes time to introduce his characters, but because of that he enables them to come alive. There's a lot telling and comparatively little showing in here, but we're provided a stunning portrait of times different to ours today.
In 2015 Penguin introduced the Little Black Classics series to celebrate Penguin's 80th birthday. Including little stories from "around the world and across many centuries" as the publisher describes, I have been intrigued to read those for a long time, before finally having started. I hope to sooner or later read and review all of them!
February 13, 2022
鈥淪o, you see, my dear fellow, if I do not believe in God, I believe still less in man.鈥�
don't have much to say, this was a really good and quick read.
don't have much to say, this was a really good and quick read.
October 29, 2015
When I first started reading the Atheist's Mass I got about half-way through and was thinking "Oh great, another book written to tell us how all atheists secretly want / revert to religion" and then I finished it, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was in fact about an atheist who, in spite of their own personal beliefs, gave the only thing the could to honor the memory of someone who helped them.
It was in fact a story about an atheist being a normal, rational and honorable human being. Yay! To be represented in literature as we actually are is a wonderful thing.
the second story in this little book was a little insight into living during the Terror of the french revolution.
It was in fact a story about an atheist being a normal, rational and honorable human being. Yay! To be represented in literature as we actually are is a wonderful thing.
the second story in this little book was a little insight into living during the Terror of the french revolution.
May 9, 2016
Balzac and other geniuses.
I began my evening watching, John Le Carre's, BBC production of , TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY. After that I watched the masterful Itzhak Perlman perform Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major. And I finished of the night reading Balzac's, THE ATHEIST'S MASS. What an exclamation point to an elevated night. One of the great things about Balzac is that he always leaves you with yourself, or myself in my case.
I began my evening watching, John Le Carre's, BBC production of , TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY. After that I watched the masterful Itzhak Perlman perform Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major. And I finished of the night reading Balzac's, THE ATHEIST'S MASS. What an exclamation point to an elevated night. One of the great things about Balzac is that he always leaves you with yourself, or myself in my case.
July 25, 2020
I love reading Penguin Black Classics 鈥� because I never know what I'm going to find.
This turned out to be two short stories; one about faith and one about family ties during the French Revolution. Both filled with wonderful insight and wit.
While the stories themselves perhaps don't make unforgettable reading experiences, the book has done its job as an appetizer and made me hungry for more. Which is the point with these tiny volumes after all.
This turned out to be two short stories; one about faith and one about family ties during the French Revolution. Both filled with wonderful insight and wit.
While the stories themselves perhaps don't make unforgettable reading experiences, the book has done its job as an appetizer and made me hungry for more. Which is the point with these tiny volumes after all.
June 14, 2019
Two short stories. The first one was about two atheist doctors.All about hunger poverty love devotion. I liked the point he makes by saying 'A surgeon's fame is like an actor's. It exists only so long as he is alive and his talent can no longer be appreciated once he has gone'. The second story is about the love of Madame de Rey for her only son.
July 18, 2023
Balzac wastes little time giving us background for this story that is shorter than most. It could easily be read in one sitting. I am a slow reader and started it one evening and quickly finished it the next day.
Although most descriptions I see say this is an introduction to Bianchon, it is really the story of the surgeon Desplein. Desplein, an atheist, is observed entering Saint Sulpice. Bianchon cannot believe his eyes, but after several years of wondering why this should happen, he sits with Desplein and listens to his explanation. Balzac's endings tend to be sad with more than a tinge of irony. This story is just plain sad and it pricked my emotions more than he usually does. It is quite good, but I think it is not typical.
Although most descriptions I see say this is an introduction to Bianchon, it is really the story of the surgeon Desplein. Desplein, an atheist, is observed entering Saint Sulpice. Bianchon cannot believe his eyes, but after several years of wondering why this should happen, he sits with Desplein and listens to his explanation. Balzac's endings tend to be sad with more than a tinge of irony. This story is just plain sad and it pricked my emotions more than he usually does. It is quite good, but I think it is not typical.
June 4, 2016
The title story was quite enjoyable. There is something about this story that pulled me in, maybe it is because as I read more of these older classics there is more that I can compare it with perhaps. The second story was reasonable enough but lacked the warmth that seemed to pervade the first.
Overall it might be worth visiting de Balzac for some more stories.
Overall it might be worth visiting de Balzac for some more stories.
February 22, 2017
This book has two short stories about faith and sacrificial love. The first is about a surgeon who is an atheist, yet goes to mass four times a year and the reasons why he chooses to live what, some may see, a life of conflicting ideologies. It was touching tale and I really enjoyed it. The second was about a mother during the French Revolution. It was alright but nothing memorable, and for me, let the book down.
June 4, 2017
Two absolutely fantastic short stories. I enjoyed the first (the title story) ever so slightly more than the second as it really struck a chord with me. Both were simple stories that had an important message - poverty, generosity, tolerance and love were all touched on at some point. More detail in my wrap up on my channel at the end of the month :)
January 13, 2016
Such a beautiful story. In such a short space, my expectations changed many times. I was expecting a whole different story, but in the end it was a pleasant surprise. Balzac really proved to be a writer of the highest level; I will make sure to read Goriot.
February 21, 2019
I was expecting more of a religious or religion-critical type of story given the title and while the first story, that has given the name of this book, was just that, the second story was completely different. They were good, but no more than that.
August 30, 2017
Both short stories were ok but I didn't find them engaging or particularly well-written.
May 6, 2024
Principalul punct forte al povestirii de fa葲膬 este descrierea rela葲iei de tip maestru-discipol dintre cei doi doctori - "Marele" Desplein 葯i Horace Bianchon - pentru care ateismul este un fel de nou膬 religie. A葯a c膬 este de 卯n葲eles 葯ocul pe care 卯l resimte Bianchon atunci c芒nd descoper膬 c膬 maestrul s膬u particip膬 cu smerenie la o mes膬 pe care el 卯nsu葯i a comandat-o 葯i nu de ieri de azi, ci de dou膬zeci de ani, de patru ori 卯n fiecare an: "脦mi ve牛i spune, scumpe maestre 鈥� 卯ntreb膬 Bianchon pe Desplein c芒nd ie艧ir膬 din biseric膬 鈥� care este pricina acestei cucernicii? P芒n膬 acum v-am surprins, tocmai pe dumneavoastr膬, de trei ori la liturghie! 脦mi ve牛i deslu艧i oare aceast膬 tain膬 艧i ve牛i l膬muri flagranta nepotrivire dintre p膬rerile 艧i purtarea dumneavoastr膬? 脦n Dumnezeu nu crede牛i 艧i la biseric膬 totu艧i merge牛i! Scumpe maestre, sunte牛i 牛inut s膬-mi r膬spunde牛i". Pentru a afla r膬spunsul la aceast膬 enigm膬, cititorul trebuie s膬 citeasc膬 povestirea lui Balzac.
脦n final, mai trebuie doar remarcat faptul c膬 biserica la care merge Desplein de patru ori pe an este Saint-Sulpice, una dintre cele mai interesante din Paris datorit膬 faptului c膬 aici exist膬 gnomonul, un instrument astronomic de m膬surare a pozi葲iei soarelui.
De葯i Balzac nu face referire la gnomon 卯n aceast膬 povestire, Saint-Sulpice va deveni faimoas膬 卯n 卯ntreaga lume datorit膬 faptului c膬 aici se desf膬葯oar膬 o bun膬 parte din ac葲iunea bestseller-ului cu titlu stupid 葯i con葲inut pe m膬sur膬 al lui Dan Brown, Codul lui da Vinci, care face din Saint-Sulpice 葯i din gnomon unul dintre sediile Fr膬葲iei care e depozitara tuturor secretelor lumii noastre, dar pe care Dan Brown 卯nsu葯i a reu葯it s膬 le descopere. Lectur膬 pl膬cut膬!
脦n final, mai trebuie doar remarcat faptul c膬 biserica la care merge Desplein de patru ori pe an este Saint-Sulpice, una dintre cele mai interesante din Paris datorit膬 faptului c膬 aici exist膬 gnomonul, un instrument astronomic de m膬surare a pozi葲iei soarelui.
De葯i Balzac nu face referire la gnomon 卯n aceast膬 povestire, Saint-Sulpice va deveni faimoas膬 卯n 卯ntreaga lume datorit膬 faptului c膬 aici se desf膬葯oar膬 o bun膬 parte din ac葲iunea bestseller-ului cu titlu stupid 葯i con葲inut pe m膬sur膬 al lui Dan Brown, Codul lui da Vinci, care face din Saint-Sulpice 葯i din gnomon unul dintre sediile Fr膬葲iei care e depozitara tuturor secretelor lumii noastre, dar pe care Dan Brown 卯nsu葯i a reu葯it s膬 le descopere. Lectur膬 pl膬cut膬!
February 25, 2020
Der Titel dieses R眉hrst眉cks klingt spektakul盲rer als der Inhalt.
September 5, 2014
Balzac is often too sentimental for me, but this sentimental story touched my heart.
It is the story of the surgeon Desplein who was guide and mentor to the prominent physician Bianchon when he was a student. One day Bianchon is puzzled to see Desplain attending mass, when he knows the surgeon to be an atheist; and when a year later he see Desplain do the same thing, he resolves to find out the reason for this apparent contradiction.
He sits down beside Desplain in the pew, and thus it is that Desplain provides an explanation. It seems that when he was young, and extremely poor, a fellow lodger, a water-carrier named Bourgeat,
as poor as he, took pity on him and shared everything he had. He paid for transport to new lodgings when they were thrown out for not paying the rent, he went without the best food himself so that Desplain could have coffee when he needed to stay awake to study, and he even paid Desplain's examination fees.
When he graduated and became well-known and successful, Desplain never forgot Bourgeat and used his first year's salary to buy the horse and cart that Bourgeat had been saving for when first they met. Desplain tended Bourgeat when he was ill, and when his time came, he died in Desplain's arms.
And in his memory, Desplain founded four masses annually, and attends them himself, because Bourgeat was a devout believer, and Desplain respects that faith. Indeed, he wishes, sometimes, that he had it himself.
It is the story of the surgeon Desplein who was guide and mentor to the prominent physician Bianchon when he was a student. One day Bianchon is puzzled to see Desplain attending mass, when he knows the surgeon to be an atheist; and when a year later he see Desplain do the same thing, he resolves to find out the reason for this apparent contradiction.
He sits down beside Desplain in the pew, and thus it is that Desplain provides an explanation. It seems that when he was young, and extremely poor, a fellow lodger, a water-carrier named Bourgeat,
as poor as he, took pity on him and shared everything he had. He paid for transport to new lodgings when they were thrown out for not paying the rent, he went without the best food himself so that Desplain could have coffee when he needed to stay awake to study, and he even paid Desplain's examination fees.
When he graduated and became well-known and successful, Desplain never forgot Bourgeat and used his first year's salary to buy the horse and cart that Bourgeat had been saving for when first they met. Desplain tended Bourgeat when he was ill, and when his time came, he died in Desplain's arms.
And in his memory, Desplain founded four masses annually, and attends them himself, because Bourgeat was a devout believer, and Desplain respects that faith. Indeed, he wishes, sometimes, that he had it himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2014
The short story of the master surgeon Desplein and how his disciple Bianchon caught the avowed atheist heading to mass four times a year. Desplein relates how although being a naturalist, he still attends mass.
I think the central conflict in this short story is what atheist feel and the naturally human desire to please either yourself or others. When is a lie evil? Is it wrong to tell someone it's going to be okay, when you know they are going to die?
Desplein is driven by compassion, and many of those touched by the divine are as well. The question, then, do you need to be religious to be compassionate? And if you are not religious, should God (if you believe) be compassionate of those who are not?
Very interesting short story, one of which, I can easily relate to and that does not have easy answers for the believers or nonbelievers.
I think the central conflict in this short story is what atheist feel and the naturally human desire to please either yourself or others. When is a lie evil? Is it wrong to tell someone it's going to be okay, when you know they are going to die?
Desplein is driven by compassion, and many of those touched by the divine are as well. The question, then, do you need to be religious to be compassionate? And if you are not religious, should God (if you believe) be compassionate of those who are not?
Very interesting short story, one of which, I can easily relate to and that does not have easy answers for the believers or nonbelievers.
March 21, 2016
Conto publicado em 1836, traz como personagem o m茅dico Desplein, professor do j谩 conhecido dr. Bianchon. Desplein 茅 uma homenagem ao famoso fisiologista dr. Guillaume Dupuytren, cirurgi茫o da fam铆lia real, morto um ano antes da publica莽茫o do conto.
Traz como tema um mist茅rio: o que leva um ateu convicto como Desplein a rezar e orientar uma missa 4 vezes ao ano? 脡 isso que o leitor ir谩 descobrir junto com dr. Bianchon.
Hist贸rico de leitura
80% (56 de 70)
"Cat贸lico ardoroso, nunca me disse uma 煤nica palavra sobre minha religi茫o."
16% (11 de 70)
"Um m茅dico a quem a ci锚ncia deve uma bela fisiol贸gica e que, jovem ainda, se colocou entre as celebridades da Escola de Paris, centro de luzes ao qual todos os m茅dicos da Europa prestam homenagem, o dr. Bianchon praticou durante muito tempo a cirurgia antes de se dedicar 脿 cirurgia."
Traz como tema um mist茅rio: o que leva um ateu convicto como Desplein a rezar e orientar uma missa 4 vezes ao ano? 脡 isso que o leitor ir谩 descobrir junto com dr. Bianchon.
Hist贸rico de leitura
80% (56 de 70)
"Cat贸lico ardoroso, nunca me disse uma 煤nica palavra sobre minha religi茫o."
16% (11 de 70)
"Um m茅dico a quem a ci锚ncia deve uma bela fisiol贸gica e que, jovem ainda, se colocou entre as celebridades da Escola de Paris, centro de luzes ao qual todos os m茅dicos da Europa prestam homenagem, o dr. Bianchon praticou durante muito tempo a cirurgia antes de se dedicar 脿 cirurgia."
July 16, 2015
"- 袙 袩邪褉懈卸械, 泻芯谐写邪 薪械泻芯褌芯褉褘械 谢褞写懈 胁懈写褟褌, 褔褌芯 胁褘 胁芯褌-胁芯褌 谐芯褌芯胁褘 褋械褋褌褜 胁 褋械写谢芯, 懈薪芯泄 薪邪褔懈薪邪械褌 褌邪褖懈褌褜 胁邪褋 蟹邪 锌芯谢褍, 邪 褌芯褌 芯褌褋褌械谐懈胁邪械褌 锌芯写锌褉褍谐褍, 褔褌芯斜褘 胁褘 褍锌邪谢懈 懈 褉邪蟹斜懈谢懈 褋械斜械 谐芯谢芯胁褍; 褌褉械褌懈泄 褋斜懈胁邪械褌 锌芯写泻芯胁褘 褋 薪芯谐 胁邪褕械泄 谢芯褕邪写懈, 褔械褌胁械褉褌褘泄 泻褉邪写械褌 褍 胁邪褋 褏谢褘褋褌; 褋邪屑褘泄 褔械褋褌薪褘泄 鈥� 褌芯褌, 泻褌芯 锌褉懈斜谢懈卸邪械褌褋褟 泻 胁邪屑 褋 锌懈褋褌芯谢械褌芯屑 胁 褉褍泻械, 褔褌芯斜褘 胁褘褋褌褉械谢懈褌褜 胁 胁邪褋 胁 褍锌芯褉."
August 20, 2017
Two stories about faith, doubt, waiting and trying. The stories are different and also reflect different kind of characters and complication of stories. I liked the first one for the struggling aspects, life, science and faith reflections. The second story was more about believing trying and failing, the moral was strong.
July 15, 2011
Can a man be religious yet not believe in God? Apparantly so, according to BallSack, er, I mean Balzac as he spins this touching story of a reclusive yet brilliant doctor who balances two wildly different ideologies into one fascinating life.
August 6, 2012
My first bit of Balzac. I enjoyed his writing style and apparent depth of character, creating a detailed picture of the story's characters, with only a few words. I'm intrigued, and plan to read more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.