Honoré de Balzac Quotes

French novelist and playwright (1799–1850)

Honoré de Balzac (20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist. Along with Flaubert, he is generally regarded as a founding father of realism in European literature.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Pen Names: Horace de Saint-Aubin • Lord R’Hoone • Viellerglé • Saint Aubin

Alternative Names: Balzac • Horace de Saint- Aubin • Onoreh deh Balzaḳ • Lord R'Hoone • Ônôrē de Balzaq • Jeune ceélibataire • Onore de Balzak • Honorato De Balzac • H. Balzak • Honoreé De Balzac • H. Balzac • Horace de S.- Aubin • Honoriusz Balzac • Un Jeune ceélibataire • Lord O'Rhoone • Ūnūrīh dī Balzāk • R'Hoone • Onore de Bal'zak • Hônôrê đơ Banzăc • Honore de Balzak • de. Balzac • Honorato Balzac • Honoré de Balsac • Honoreé de Balzac • Baruzakku • Pa-erh-cha-kʻo • Honoré. Balzac • Honoreé DeBalzac • Onore. Bal'zak • Onorato di Balzac • Honoriusz. Balzac • H. de Balzac • Onore Balzéak • Honoriusz. Balzak • Instituteur Matricante • Pa-erh-cha-kò • Ba’erzhake • Honoryusz. Balzac • Abbeé Savonati • Honoräe de Balzac • Honoratus de Balzac • A. de Villergleé • Honoré Balssa • Honoré De Balzac • Ba'erzhake • Saint Aubin de Poitiers • M. de Balzac • Onore Balʹzak • Honore de Bal'zac • Balzak • H. de. Balzac • Honoreé von Balzac • Honore de Balzac • Jeune ceelibataire • Honoree De Balzac • Honoree de Balzac • Un Jeune ceelibataire • Honore de Balsac • Honore. Balzac • Honoree DeBalzac • Onore Balzeak • Pa-erh-cha-ko • Abbee Savonati • A. de Villerglee • Honore Balssa • Honoree von Balzac

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Nature knows nothing but solid bodies; your science deals only with combinations of surfaces. And so nature constantly gives the lie to all your laws; can you name one to which no fact makes an exception?

Quels effroyables tableaux ne présenteraient pas les âmes de ceux qui environnent les lits funèbres, si l'on pouvait en peindre les idées ? Et toujours la fortune est le mobile des intrigues qui s'élaborent, des plans qui se forment, des trames qui s'ourdissent !

It is easier to be a lover than a husband, for the same reason that it is more difficult to be witty every day, than to say bright things from time to time.

The Oratorian boarding school in Vendôme, which Balzac was sent to at a young age. It was a gruelling and miserable place to live, with severe monastic rules.

Mankind are not perfect, but one age is more or less hypocritical than another, and then simpletons say that its morality is high or low.