Lost Illusions (1898)

Lost Illusions is a novel written by French author Honore De Balzac, first published in 1898. The book is set in the early 19th century and tells the story of Lucien de Rubempre, a young poet from the provinces who dreams of literary success in Paris. Lucien arrives in Paris and quickly becomes involved in the literary and social circles of the city. He meets a number of influential people, including the wealthy and powerful d'Arthez family, who take him under their wing and introduce him to the world of publishing. As Lucien's literary career begins to take off, he becomes increasingly ambitious and begins to make compromises in order to achieve success. He becomes involved in a number of scandals and affairs, including a relationship with the beautiful but manipulative Esther van Gobseck, which leads to his downfall. The novel explores themes of ambition, love, and the corrupting influence of power. It is widely regarded as one of Balzac's greatest works and is noted for its vivid portrayal of Parisian society in the early 19th century.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.