{"product_id":"9780141961217","title":"History of the Thirteen","description":"Passionate and perceptive, the three short novels that make up Balzac's History of the Thirteen are concerned in part with the activities of a rich, powerful, sinister and unscrupulous secret society in nineteenth-century France. While the deeds of 'The Thirteen' remain frequently in the background, however, the individual novels are concerned with exploring various forms of desire. A tragic love story, Ferragus depicts a marriage destroyed by suspicion, revelation and misunderstanding. The Duchess de Langeais explores the anguish that results when a society coquette tries to seduce a heroic ex-soldier, while The Girl with the Golden Eyes offers a frank consideration of desire and sexuality. Together, these works provide a firm and fascinating foundation for Balzac's many later portrayals of Parisian life in his great novel-cycle The Human Comedy.","brand":"Penguin UK","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072257704176,"sku":"9780141961217","price":14.65,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780141961217_p0.jpg?v=1763656683","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780141961217","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}