Reviews

Illusions perdues by Honoré de Balzac

jayrinehart's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

jonfaith's review against another edition

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5.0

While there were issues with the structure of the novel, the disparate scenarios involving Lucien and David are removed from one another to a cumbersome degree. Compounding this, the tragedy which envelops David and Eve is soaked and blurred in jargon and legal asides. I sense that Balzac was thinking long-term and indifferent to these quibbles. That said, Lost Illusions is a narrative triumph and one i will treasure.

jmoran4's review against another edition

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5.0

Similar to Pere Goriot, a dark and tragic fable of capitalism. Whereas Goriot was concerned with social mores and status, I appreciated how Lost Illusions highlights grifting and confidence scamming as key features of the capitalist paradigm. It feels very similar to living in the 2020s, where decent products only get worse over time while worthless commodities are exalted as great innovations.

ekxv's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

dolcifusa's review against another edition

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3.0

Sono un po' combattuta... nonostante la prosa di Balzac mi piaccia molto, e soprattutto interpretata dalla Cecchini, non posso dire che la vicenda narrata nel libro mi sia piaciuta. Francamente, è difficile non dico affezionarsi ma anche solo parteggiare per questi personaggi: Luciano è, a essere buoni, un povero grullo malato di protagonismo; David è un intellettuale naïf con la testa per aria, e i piedi pure; Eva, l'unica con un po' di sale in zucca, si è fatta infinocchiare pure lei dal peggiore dei corrotti, quel Petit-Claude che mi è risultato il personaggio più odioso e del quale posso testimoniare ne esistono molti esemplari reali in Procura.

missemilymorland's review against another edition

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4.0

3.75

elisabetta_abraami's review against another edition

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“Do you think that I am noodle enough to tell you that?”

poetastre's review against another edition

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3.0

fin de lecture assez mitigée

les deux premiers tiers étaient vraiment incroyables mais je crois que la longueur du récit et l'absence de chapitre ont fini par rendre ma lecture un peu ennuyante (je n'ai fait que survoler les 100 dernières pages, la honte)

j'ai peut-être aussi été un peu perdue avec tous ces trafics d'argent...

3,5

magsie66's review against another edition

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challenging informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Very informative about printing and paper making in 19th century France but overall not as powerful a novel as I had expected due to weak characterisation 

chambermusic's review against another edition

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4.0

This appeased my hunger for another the Red and the Black to read on vacation, thank you M. Balzac.