At the Sign of the Cat and Racket
The novel revolves around a young man who becomes embroiled in the lives of a group of artists and intellectuals living in Paris. He becomes infatuated with a beautiful woman, but his attempts to win her over are thwarted by his own ineptitude and the machinations of those around him. As he navigates this complex web of relationships, the young man is forced to confront his own limitations and the harsh realities of life in 19th-century Paris. Through his experiences, Balzac explores themes of love, art, and social class, offering a nuanced portrayal of the city's vibrant cultural scene. Ultimately, the novel is a commentary on the fleeting nature of artistic ambition and the corrupting influence of desire.
By Honoré De Balzac · First published 1829 · Genre: Realism, Romance, Drama · 24,690 words
First lines
Half-way down the Rue Saint-Denis, almost at the corner of the Rue du Petit-Lion, there stood formerly one of those delightful houses which enable historians to reconstruct old Paris by analogy. The threatening walls of this tumbledown abode seemed to have been decorated with hieroglyphics. For what other name could the passer-by give to the Xs and Vs which the horizontal or diagonal timbers traced on the front, outlined by little parallel cracks in the plaster? It was evident that every beam quivered in its mortices at the passing of the lightest vehicle. This venerable structure was crowned by a triangular roof of which no example will, ere long, be seen in Paris. This covering, warped by the extremes of the Paris climate, projected three feet over the roadway, as much to protect the threshold from the rainfall as to shelter the wall of a loft and its sill-less dormer-window.
What this Textopian page supports
At the Sign of the Cat and Racket is listed on Textopian as a novel by Honoré De Balzac, dated 1829 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Honoré De Balzac
- Date: 1829 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Realism, Romance, Drama, Social Commentary, Psychological Fiction
- Length: 24,690 words
- Structure: 1 section, 267 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for At the Sign of the Cat and Racket by Honoré De Balzac
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Realism — The book is a detailed depiction of bourgeois life in 19th-century Paris, focusing on realistic social settings and character development.
- Romance — The narrative centers around romantic relationships and the complexities of love and marriage.
- Drama — The story involves intense emotional conflicts and moral dilemmas faced by the characters.
- Social Commentary — The book critiques the social structures and class distinctions of the time.
Tags
French Literature · Realism · Social Commentary · Satire · Comedy · Novella · 19th Century · Parisian Life · Middle Class · Marriage · Love · Deception