{"product_id":"9781593082857","title":"Pere Goriot (Barnes \u0026 Noble Classics Series)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePere Goriot\u003c\/i\u003e, by \u003cb\u003eHonore de Balzac\u003c\/b\u003e, is part of the \u003ci\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble Classics\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of \u003ci\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble Classics\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003eAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. \u003ci\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble Classics \u003c\/i\u003epulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA supreme observer and chronicler of nineteenth-century French society, \u003cb\u003eHonoré de Balzac\u003c\/b\u003e wrote a vast number of novels and short stories collectively known as \u003ci\u003eThe Human Comedy\u003c\/i\u003e. These books were unsurpassed for their narrative drive and scope, their large casts of vibrant, diverse, and interesting characters, and their obsessive interest in and examination of virtually all spheres of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe greatest of these novels is \u003ci\u003ePère Goriot\u003c\/i\u003e, which opens in a dirty boarding-house where three of the novel’s main characters live. Goriot is a father who sacrifices his wealth and health so that his two daughters can gain access to Parisian high society. He pays off their debts, succumbs to their lavish demands, and receives nothing but scorn in return. His fellow boarder is the mysterious Vautrin, one of Balzac’s most remarkable creations. A criminal mastermind, Vautrin recognizes that the social contract is nothing but a fraud for those without money and power. Finally, there is Rastignac, who represents one of Balzac’s favorite themes—the ambitious young provincial fighting for advancement in the competitive world of Paris. With Goriot and Vautrin acting as surrogate fathers, Rastignac begins his climb up the social ladder—only to discover that there is a spiritual cost to be paid for life’s apparent prizes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePeter Connor\u003c\/b\u003e is Associate Professor of French and Comparative Literature at Barnard College, Columbia University. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eGeorges Bataille and the Mysticism of Sin\u003c\/i\u003e (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000). He has translated Bataille’s \u003ci\u003eThe Tears of Eros\u003c\/i\u003e (City Lights Press, 1989), as well as many works in the area of contemporary French philosophy, including \u003ci\u003eThe Inoperative Community\u003c\/i\u003e, by Jean-Luc Nancy (University of Minnesota Press, 1991).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barnes \u0026 Noble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47031070785776,"sku":"9781593082857","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781593082857_p0.jpg?v=1763813243","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781593082857","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}