His Excellency the Count of Grandet

"...completed in Paris, September [-]."

When Balzac wrote the last sentence of "Eugénie Grandet" on the paper, he felt a burst of relief.Or pleasure, since he had already planned to entrust the manuscript of this book to his beloved Madame de Hanska for safekeeping.

Yes, she is not here, not in Paris; she lives far away in Vieconia, where the ice and the snow are; A typical aristocratic weekend surrounded by guests...

But nothing, climate or otherwise, harmed his love.Just like "To Maria" written on the title page, he felt that he now possessed some of Eugenie's qualities; or to be precise, they all came from Maria.

On the fifth floor of No. 9, Rue de la Letguyer, the windows of the attic were creaking in response to the call of the first north wind.The old wooden building can barely withstand the cold at this time, but in less than a month, the low flame in the fireplace will also feel helpless against the stubborn cold air that penetrates the room through the cracks; The darker and browner wood planks in places have proved this.

"The suburbs of St. Anton are always colder..." Balzac put down his pen and looked out the window dreamily.

When he was concentrating on writing, he seldom took into account the surrounding situation; for example, now, when he said such a sentence almost unconsciously, his thoughts drifted to the printing room.He plans to send the manuscript over tomorrow; so that he can get the printed manuscript as soon as possible, and can modify it according to his own habits...

Thanks to "Partisan Juan", after the publication of this book, he was finally able to get rid of those businesses that he was not good at at all, and that cost him tens of thousands of francs in debt-it was a tragic attempt-to concentrate on Develop the direction he is most interested in, which is writing.

His dream has always been only this one, but the objection of his parents earlier and the reality that he cannot support himself do not allow him to live on his hobby.Fortunately, the winter night will pass; I can't say how good his life is now, but he has finally achieved a little bit of fame, and he can live on the benefits of this fame.

He has fought for this for many years, he has confidence in himself; he believes that his success is just around the corner, and it is only time.

Balzac thought of Madame Hanska again.He has met many women before, and his enthusiasm for them will always fade; but this time may be different, he has a premonition that she will take him out of the spring that has never bloomed in bloom, to the most brilliant summer and the warmest. autumn.

It is undeniable that this idea brought him more enthusiasm for creation, related to his vision of the Madeleine Cathedral.He has built the framework of the church, and he will use his works as columns, beams and pediments, pile up and carve them one by one, and finally make them a monument of victory, just like Napoleon built the Madeleine cathedral same purpose.

The Madeleine Cathedral is a magnificent building with a strong classical atmosphere.Although she was called the "Temple of Glory of the Great Army" during the Napoleonic period, this did not affect its Greek temple-like shape; the Corinthian columns with a history of more than 2000 years made her look perfect from any angle, with Statue-accurate and refined beauty.

Starting from the Bourbon Palace, you can reach this charming church by walking along the strict Royal Street.Although people are more likely to think of the Arc de Triomphe built later when talking about the glory of victory, she is still a good place to go——

You can overlook the surrounding view, the fascinating pipe organ, the relief of the Ten Commandments of the Bible on the bronze door, the ascension of Mary behind the altar, the compassionate face of Jesus in the "Last Judgment" on the gable...

Balzac was standing before the steps of the church, looking up at that face.The sky was gray, and the falling snowflakes slightly obscured his vision.

"They told me you left early in the morning;" came a voice, mixed with the creaking of boots on the snow, "and I know where in Paris the best chance is to find you."

Balzac looked sideways. "Did you see it?"

Hugo was about the same age as Balzac, but he didn't have a mustache like Balzac, and he was much more decently dressed, so he looked much younger. "If you mean your masterpiece, then I have to say, I just found out about it." He twirled his cane and said with a smile, "I would be honored if I could read it in advance."

They are not close friends now; even, a few years ago, Balzac had sharply criticized Hugo's "Eulani".Hugo is naturally annoyed, but that doesn't mean he's bitter.As for Balzac, he later realized the value of the script that he had neglected before; different styles of works are not a reason to deny someone's talent.

So at this time, Balzac smiled back at Hugo's proposal. "Then you must also know that I need to print the manuscript for revision. If you don't mind the time, I can quickly revise it."

"That sounds great!" Hugo's eyes sparkled. "The snow is getting heavier; would you mind leaving here with me and enjoying a hot cup of coffee at Alexandre Dumas's house?"

"Of course, my dear friend, I never refuse such a tempting proposal!" Balzac agreed.

But before leaving, he looked up again at the magnificent temple-like church.He has indeed set up a blueprint, but now he only dares to show his ambitions and ambitions in front of his closest relatives; but it doesn't matter, he has been waiting for many years, he firmly believes that he can do it, and the facts are beginning to prove it—— —

He needs time, and he only needs time!

Before the winter passed, Hugo got the not-so-thick manuscript for printing.Along with the manuscript came a short letter, in which Balzac informed himself of his current situation, but also believed that his new book was just a relatively simple story.

It has to be said that several novels are written in a year, which is an astonishing speed; while he appreciates it, he also has to worry about his friend's health.But when he turned the first page, these realistic thoughts were squeezed away by the plot in the text——

One character after another came out of it to greet him, vividly.What they said, what they did, the choices of each person were so realistic that he could immediately pull out one or several people he had met before in his mind.This impression does not need to be specific, because most of them have been branded with the characteristics of the times——

Fiction is reality.

He seems to have really been to Saumur, and there really is a Grandet mansion there.Charles, who has become a ruthless careerist, only regrets the failure of his calculations, but he will never go back to Saumur; and Eugenie, who is now the young widow Madame de Pontfont, is in the midst of hopeless infatuation and cold gold. Live the rest of her life here...

Balzac may have thought that his provincial novel was just an ordinary gilded statue in a church, placed with many other statues, and did not see much special; Unexpected success, becoming the most dazzling one among the works of genius!

The author has something to say: The pre-sale of "His Excellency the Earl of Grandet" has started, including the full text of the Internet and supplementary content, special extras (about [-] words), caption:

[-] was a critical year for Balzac both in creation and in life... In September of that year, when the first draft of "Eugenie Grandet" was completed, he submitted to The younger sister confidently declared: "I will rule the European literary world, and I will not suffer setbacks! I only need to work hard for two more years, and I will be able to surpass all those who try to tie my hands and feet and hinder my progress!" His self-confidence comes from A huge idea he has been brewing for a long time: he wants to combine all the works he has written and will write into a "whole building", which he calls "my Madeleine cathedral."

——Preface to the translator of Eugenie Grandet

Serious small theater:

When the original characters saw the original, their reaction was——

Father Grandet (satisfied): After my death, Eugenie managed the family well.

Cornoille (wrong emphasis): No wonder the place described at the beginning is more like Nantes than Saumur.

Charles: The author is laughing at me, this stinky starling, I really want to stab his stomach with a sword.

PRESIDENT DE PONFONT: I ​​cannot deny that my calculations have brought me no life-long advantage.

Eugenie: ...that's life.

↑ Cornoille is a tenant of Papa Grandet.