{"product_id":"lost-illusions-9781513273303","title":"Lost Illusions","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eLost Illusions\u003c\/i\u003e (1837-1843) is a novel by French author Honoré de Balzac. Written as part of his \u003ci\u003eLa Comédie 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\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe son of a middle-class father and aristocratic mother, Lucien Chardon is a promising young poet. He lives in Angoulême with his now-impoverished mother—who is also a widow—and his sister Ève. In the province, he spends his days with his loyal friend David Séchard, who encourages his literary lifestyle while studying to be a scientist. David’s eventual marriage to Ève 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 Rubempré 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\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis edition of Honoré de Balzac’s \u003ci\u003eLost Illusions\u003c\/i\u003e is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSince our inception in 2020, \u003cb\u003eMint Editions\u003c\/b\u003e has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003eWith thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Honoré de Balzac","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48284013527291,"sku":"9781513273303","price":7.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/3917\/9771\/files\/CoreSourceHub_606642fa-334e-4314-9f54-cabec6fdb0f8.jpg?v=1771390341","url":"https:\/\/indiepubs.com\/products\/lost-illusions-9781513273303","provider":"IndiePubs","version":"1.0","type":"link"}