Produced by Dagny
The trilogy known as Lost Illusions consists of:
Two Poets
A Distinguished Provincial at Paris
Eve and David
In many references parts one and three are combined under the title Lost Illusions and A Distinguished Provincial at Paris is given its individual title. Following this trilogy is a sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life, which is set directly following the end of Eve and David.
The longest, without exception, of Balzac's books, and one whichcontains hardly any passage that is not very nearly of his best,Illusions Perdues suffers, I think, a little in point of compositionfrom the mixture of the Angouleme scenes of its first and third partswith the purely Parisian interest of Un Grand Homme de Province. Itis hardly possible to exaggerate the gain in distinctness and lucidityof arrangement derived from putting Les Deux Poetes and Eve etDavid (a much better title than that which has been preferred in theEdition Definitive) together in one volume, and reserving thegreatness and decadence of Lucien de Rubempre for another. It isdistinctly awkward that this should be divided, as it is itself anenormous episode, a sort of Herodotean parenthesis, rather than anintegral part of the story. And, as a matter of fact, it joins on muchmore to the Splendeurs et Miseres des Courtisanes than to its actualcompanions. In fact, it is an instance of the somewhat haphazard andarbitrary way in which the actual division of the Comedie hasworked, that it should, dealing as it does wholly and solely withParisian life, be put in the Scenes de la Vie de Province, andshould be separated from its natural conclusion not merely as a matterof volumes, but as a matter of divisions. In making the arrangement,however, it is necessary to remember Balzac's own scheme, especiallyas the connection of the three parts in other ways is too close topermit the wrenching of them asunder altogether and finally. Thiscaution given, all that is necessary can be done by devoting the firstpart of the introduction entirely to the first and third or Angoulemeparts, and by consecrating the latter part to the egregious Lucien byhimself.
There is a double gain in doing this, for, independently of theconnection as above referred to, Lucien has little to do except as anopportunity for the display of virtue by his sister and David Sechard;and the parts in which they appear are among the most interesting ofBalzac's work. The "Idyllic" charm of this marriage for love, combinedas it is with exhibitions of the author's power in more than one ofthe ways in which he loved best to show it, has never escapedattention from Balzac's most competent critics. He himself hadspeculated in print and paper before David Sechard was conceived; hehimself had for all "maniacs," all men of one idea, the fraternalenthusiasm of a fellow-victim. He could never touch a miser without asort of shudder of interest; and that singular fancy of his fordescribing complicated legal and commercial undertakings came in too.Nor did he spare, in this wide-ranging book, to bring in otherfavorite matters of his, the hobereau—or squireen—aristocracy, thetittle-tattle o